Spark Underground

The crack was narrow, allowing only one person to pass sideways.

Upon entering, darkness and coldness enveloped them. The alleyway sloped downwards, and moisture seeped from the rock walls. Mo Chen and Su Yan had entered ahead of them and used fluorite powder to create several eerie green streaks on the rock walls, barely illuminating their path.

"Go in one hundred and fifty steps, and you'll find a fork in the road on your right." Mo Chen lowered his voice, barely able to contain his excitement, "There's a natural cave there, dry and habitable."

The group moved in silence. Footsteps echoed through the alleyway, mingling with the sound of dripping water. Lu Yuan and Li Wangye carried Lu Qinghe on a stretcher, while Shen Moxin led the way, holding a makeshift Soul Guidance Lamp. Lin Xiao brought up the rear, silently erasing any trace of their presence.

We reached the fork in the road. Turning in, the space suddenly opened up. The cave was about the size of a hall, with a thin crack in the ceiling letting in a sliver of almost invisible sunlight. The ground was flat, and there was a pool of seeping groundwater in one corner.

Mo Chen built a makeshift bed out of stone slabs. Lu Qinghe was carefully placed on it; he was still unconscious, but his breathing had become more stable. Shen Moxin immediately went to check on him.

"Temporarily stable." She breathed a sigh of relief. "He needs to rest for at least a month."

Lu Yuan nodded, his gaze sweeping across the cave. Su Yan and Li Wangye had already begun clearing the corners. Lin Xiao moved a stone slab to partially cover the entrance, then leaped onto a protruding rock ledge and squatted down. The location was well-chosen, allowing him to overlook the cave and catch a glimpse of the passageways.

Like a cheetah guarding its nest.

"That's all for tonight," Lu Yuan said. "We'll take turns on night watch. Lin Xiao will be first, I'll be second, and Mo Chen third. The rest of you can rest."

No one objected.

Three days passed quietly underground.

The mining base has changed at an astonishing pace.

Mo Chen was completely at home. Using scrap iron and parts from mining rails he had salvaged, he managed to set up makeshift traps at the entrances and key forks in the tunnels. Trip-start bells, pressure-sensitive stones, and most impressively, a modified "muffled mine" he had buried at a corner of the alley.

"After being triggered, there's a bright light and a loud bang, energy rushes inward, creating the illusion of a collapse." He chuckled, "That's enough to scare people."

Su Yan and Li Wangye thoroughly cleaned the cave. They compacted the ground and used the rubble to create a living area, a storage corner, and Shen Moxin's "medical station." Su Yan even wove several mats from the vines they found.

Shen Moxin took care of Lu Qinghe around the clock. The combination of Moonlight Orchid Dew and medicinal herbs had a remarkable effect. Lu Qinghe's complexion improved day by day. She took some time to organize her books and notes, and nailed a wooden board to the rock wall to use as a bookshelf.

Lin Xiao was in charge of perimeter security and reconnaissance. His Martial Soul characteristics were put to the extreme here—dark vision, silent movement, and a keen sense of airflow and sound. He roamed the mine network every day, familiarizing himself with every branch. Sometimes he would bring back a few moss plants or a blind mouse.

"An extra treat," he said curtly, tossing the struggling blind mouse to Li Wangye.

Mr. Wen drew up a more detailed map of the mine tunnels from memory. He was old, so he would sit in the cave and listen to Lin Xiao's description, adding details bit by bit on the parchment.

Lu Yuan wasn't idle either.

He planned functional zones, developed a duty roster and emergency plans. He designed a simple filtration device using the groundwater in Nawa. He observed airflow changes and deduced ventilation paths.

But more often than not, he remained silent.

Standing on that higher platform—a flat area extending from the rock ledge where Lin Xiao often squatted—he looked down at the busy crowd below.

Shen Moxin's focused profile as she changed her dressing. The glint of fire in Mo Chen's eyes as he fiddled with parts. Su Yan and Li Wangye meticulously carrying out their orders. Lin Xiao slipping in and out like a shadow. Mr. Wen, wearing reading glasses, laboriously drawing a map.

A long-lost, faint sense of security slowly enveloped me.

It was rudimentary and fraught with danger, but deep underground, it had begun to take the shape of a "home".

Lu Yuan closed his eyes.

He knew this feeling was temporary. The threat of the Cloud Mist Sect hung overhead. The Shadow Guards ' purpose remained a mystery. His father's injuries required more resources. Lin Xiao's Martial Soul's hidden dangers needed to be resolved. Su Yan and Li Wangye needed systematic guidance and growth...

And himself.

My Soul Power has been stuck at the level 19 bottleneck for a long time. A series of unexpected events have depleted my mental energy, leaving me with almost no time to cultivate in peace. The knowledge from my past life is vast, and transforming it into power in this life requires time, practice, and, more importantly, a stable environment.

More importantly, this incident was like a bucket of cold water, completely waking him up.

Relying solely on individual ingenuity, a small team might be able to maneuver and gain a temporary respite. But then what?

Faced with a behemoth like the Cloud Mist Sect, a mysterious organization like the Shadow Guards, and the deeply ingrained rules and Shackles of this world... they were like sparks in a storm, easily extinguished.

He needs a more solid foundation.

What is needed is a stronger force—not the strength of one person, but a system, a legacy, an ecosystem that can continuously generate "Core Flame".

We need to move "Spark" from an idea or a small group into a real "prototype".

The thought became clearer and clearer.

Like in a dark mine, the Soul Guidance Lamp illuminated the most crucial point.

He opened his eyes, a certain determination settling within them.

Just then, the stone slab that was half-closed at the cave entrance was silently pushed open.

Lin Xiao slid in, landing almost silently. But his expression was off; his usual arrogance was replaced by seriousness. His amber pupils contracted slightly in the dim light.

He walked straight to the foot of the rock ledge and looked up at Lu Yuan.

The voice was very low, yet so clear that everyone in the cave stopped what they were doing.

"Lu Yuan," Lin Xiao said, "There's something going on outside."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"It's not someone from the Cloud Mist Sect. It's that Deacon Han. He seems to be... looking for us."

"Alone, without any Inspection Office members."