The Drifting Mist Pavilion had stood for over 500 years.
Perched along the slopes of Mount Yunqiu, its halls and pavilions followed the natural curves of stone and cloud, as though the mountain itself had grown walls and roofs.
From afar, the sect appeared faint and indistinct, half-hidden within drifting fog like an illusion.
In the magnificent hall of Drifting Mist Pavilion, many imposing figures were sitting on the golden seats, but there was a single throne of black jade and gold at the top of the hall, which was empty.
The elders of the sects were looking down at a boy sitting below, bound by heavy iron chains. The boy was around twenty years old and was looking haggard, with sunken eyes. He looked like he hadn't eaten for a long time.
One of the elders looked at him coldly and said, "Boy, now you understand your mistakes."
The boy didn't even raise his head and said, "Don't know."
Anger brewed on the elder's face hearing this, and he raised his hand and said, "Then you will leave this world without knowing why."
Suddenly, the elder beside him caught his hand.
"Sect Master isn't here, so control yourself and don't do unnecessary things."
The elder lowered his hand and glared at the boy. "You are lucky that the sect master isn't here.
"Otherwise, I would have sent you on your way."
The boy didn't say anything further and kept quiet.
The elder then looked around and asked, "So what should we do then?"
"Simply putting him in the punishment chamber won't do."
While discussing, they continuously looked at the boy, trying to scare him with the punishments, but the boy didn't even lift his head and simply kept it down, looking like he had given up.
After a long discussion, they arrived at a conclusion.
"Outer disciple Riven, you committed theft two weeks ago and even injured one of the inner disciples but were caught by the inner hall elder. By sect rules your cultivation shall be abolished, and you will be sent to the Mistbound ruins for mining for twenty years."
The grand elder's final judgement echoed through the hall, sealing Riven's fate. He then pointed his finger towards Riven's abdomen, and a pin flew out of his sleeve.
The pin flew near Riven in just a moment and pierced his abdomen. Riven flinched due to pain but was unable to move.
Boom.
A light drop was heard in the hall, after which came Riven's scream, but it was abruptly stopped due to a mouthful of blood he coughed up.
The pin flew back to the elder, and he looked at Riven, who was breathing heavily.
"His cultivation is now abolished. Now send him to the Mistbound ruins for mining."
Mistbound Ruins, a place where fog prevails. The fog neither disperses under sunlight nor thickens with night. The mist is not natural. It seeps from the ground itself. For cultivators, this residue dulls qi perception. For miners, it is far more dangerous—it interferes with breathing, balance, and judgment.
The deeper layers of the Mistbound Ruins contain fog crystal, a semi-transparent mineral that absorbs ambient spiritual energy and is valued for formation arrays and concealment talismans. Improper extraction causes violent fracturing, releasing condensed mist capable of suffocating an unprotected miner within moments.
The terrain is highly unstable. The ruins collapsed due to a large-scale formation failure, not natural decay. Tunnels may shift without warning, sealing exits or revealing sealed chambers at unnatural depths. Metallic echoes and unexplained vibrations indicate dormant formations still operating beneath the site.
Because of these risks, the Mistbound Ruins are designated as a Punishment Mining Area. Survival is not guaranteed; losses are considered part of the sentence.
"Guards, escort this outer disciple to the Mistbound ruins immediately." The grand elder's voice rang out.
Two heavily armed cultivators moved towards Riven and dragged him out of the hall. The steps echoed heavily on Riven's mind. There was rage bubbling inside him, but it only came out as helplessness.
He looked back at the hall that took everything from him and threw him into the corridor. The warmth of qi he previously felt in his body has already slipped out of his body. The culmination of three years of training is gone in an instant. He couldn't even struggle with his weak body.
The path to the Mistbound ruins was desolate and filled with towering trees. The air started to grow colder with every step the guards took.
The guards took Riven without uttering a single word.
After marching for two hours through the wilderness, they arrived at the destination. Before them stood a massive wooden gate, its surface covered with various carvings.
The wooden gate may seem simple, but the mist from the surroundings wasn't able to bypass it. As Riven crossed the gate, he could feel the change. As they walked further, the mist started to hinder their senses.
Suddenly Riven noticed many people climbing a mountain with different tools. As he was looking at the surroundings, a figure walked to the group and looked at the haggard figure of Riven.
"Is he the new one? What did he do?" the elder asked. The old man that appeared looked sharp and alert as he scrutinized Riven.
The guards let go of Riven and bowed to the elder and said, "Sir, he was caught stealing from an inner disciple and was sentenced to mining here for twenty years as punishment."
The old man looked at Riven, who was trying to stand up but was still shaking due to his injuries. He let out a sigh and said, "Follow me."
With that, the guards took Riven and started to follow the elder. While they were walking, the elder introduced, "It's quite rare for such incidents to happen in the sect nowadays."
"Most of the disciples try to solve their disputes outside the sect bounds. From the looks of it, even your cultivation is abolished."
Riven and the guards silently listened to the elder.
After some time they reached a settlement. "What a waste," the elder muttered, shaking his head. "It's such a shame young people are ruining themselves."
Then continued, "Well, whatever. Sect rules are sect rules. I'm Elder Hua, and I oversee this mining operation. Here, you're just another pair of hands. No special treatment. Understand?"
Riven, still weak and unsteady, managed a nod. His throat was parched, and his body ached, but he knew better than to complain.
Elder Hua gestured towards a cluster of ramshackle huts, cobbled together from rough-hewn timber and patched with whatever materials could be salvaged. "Those are the living quarters. Find an empty bunk. You start work tomorrow."
The guards, having completed their duty, bowed to Elder Hua and turned to leave. "We'll take our leave now, Elder Hua."
"See yourselves out," Elder Hua replied, his eyes already fixed on Riven.
As the guards disappeared back into the mist, Elder Hua turned to Riven with a scrutinizing gaze. "Don't think you'll be lazing around here. Everyone works, and everyone contributes. Slackers get punished. Understand?"
Riven nodded again, his silence betraying neither defiance nor submission.
"Good. Now, off you go. Find your bunk and rest. You'll need it." Elder Hua turned and walked towards a larger, more fortified structure at the edge of the settlement, leaving Riven to fend for himself.
Riven slowly made his way towards the huts. The air hung heavy with the smell of damp earth and mineral dust, a constant reminder of the grim reality he now faced.
The other miners, a motley collection of hardened men and women, eyed him with suspicion and indifference as he passed. Their faces were etched with hardship and resignation, their bodies worn down.
He found an empty bunk in the corner of one of the huts. It was little more than a straw-filled mattress on a rickety wooden frame. He collapsed onto it, his body aching in protest.
As darkness descended, a thick fog rolled in, enveloping the settlement. The sounds of the rhythmic clang of pickaxes and the rumble of shifting earth echoed through the night.
Riven closed his eyes, but sleep evaded him. His mind was a whirlwind of anger, regret, and despair. He thought of his past, the years of dedicated training, and the hopes and dreams he had once held. All gone, vanished in an instant.
But amidst the darkness, a flicker of defiance ignited within him, but feeling the cold inside the hut, the fire quickly vanished. The mist was already starting to pour into the hut.
Seeing the mist enter the hut, Riven tried to evade it, but he couldn't. It didn't take long before Riven inhaled some of the mist.
After some mist got inside his body, his body started to feel heavy, and even his vision started to darken.
He tried to stay awake, but his consciousness couldn't handle it for long, and he fell heavily on the floor. He felt his life slipping from his hands, and there were many thoughts swirling in his mind.
'Father, Mother, I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even see you one last time.'
'We thought after joining this sect everything will be good, but—'
They only give false hope.
Worthless sect and worthless world.