Can't win.
Can't run.
The only option is to obediently pay the ransom.
The only thing they could be thankful for was keeping their lives. As long as they paid the ransom, these Demon Cultivators would indeed let them go. Yet, many became more defiant with each setback. Every time they were released, they'd think they could finally win. They would secretly seek revenge on the Demon Cultivators, only to get ganged up on, beaten senseless, and thrown back into the mines.
This happened time and time again, and the ransom would multiply.
For example, the first time, you could leave by paying 1,000 low-grade spirit stones. The second time, it would cost 2,000 low-grade spirit stones, the third time 4,000, the fourth 8,000, and so on. The amount could also be paid using Mid-grade or top-grade spirit stones as an equivalent.
