"Let me out! NOW!!" Bai Lufeng, who was completely naked, shouted viciously from a large bar-cage. The cage was sufficient to hold a hundred people with enough space to move about if they wanted to. It was completely black and released an aura that seemed to suppress the world. The gaps between the bars had only enough space for one's hand to reach through. The entire space was filled with darkness with only a single sunstone lightning up the cage itself and a little bit outwards.
CLANG!
BANG!!
With a sudden jerk, Bai Lufeng slammed against the bars of the cage with his entire body weight, but it did little to help the situation. The clanging sound drew Bai Lufeng to look at his right leg. A shackle with a chain attached to the center floor of the cage was firmly placed, and it rattled whenever he moved. His expression paled and his eyes looked somewhat lifeless.
"Give up. You're wasting your energy." Bai Lufeng wasn't the only one in this cage, there were several dozen others, nearing fifty, who was in a similar situation. Each was naked, their legs shackled to the center floor and their faces pale, possessing very little life in their eyes. The one who spoke was a middle-aged man, his body was withered like a shriveled piece of paper, and thin to the bone.
"Shut up!" Bai Lufeng lashed out. He felt beyond frustrated and angered by all this. This was essentially kidnapping, and what's worse, it's the worse type of kidnapping! They were a part of a harem palace! A male harem palace! Normally, this wouldn't be so bad, as being able to perform dual cultivation via intimate relations with a wealthy woman, and typically beautiful as a result of this wealth, every day couldn't be bad.
However!
They were a part of a harem palace, but instead of sexual relations, they were simply drained of their primal yang energy. This was something interconnected to their bodies and souls, and having it forcefully extracted is an incredibly painful process if not done through dual cultivation. It could damage one's lifeforce, make one impotent, and weaken their souls and bodies. The process itself could even kill, and if done repeatedly, will kill!
His memory was filled with gaps. One moment, he was at the restaurant. The next, he was here, naked and drooling over some beautiful woman! He recognized this woman based on portraits he'd seen before, but he never expected her to be so maliciously evil. Her actions were essentially draining them periodically for her own cultivation. With this, she could retain her most primal, untouched yin energy while simultaneously consuming men's yang energy to heighten her physical body and soul form.
To many, both gods and men alike, this was disgusting, but this was actually relatively common in the cultivation world! For both men and women! By plucking the primal yin or yang energy from others bodies, they could utilize it to strengthen their own cultivation. Typically, men and women would do so by sexual relations, so it's somewhat mutually beneficial and maximized its effects. However, there are rare cases where they wished to retain their untouched primal yin or yang, and for a specific cultivation method, they'd obtain it through this malicious method.
If they dual cultivated, the benefits would be mutually shared and more effective by dozens of times. To balance this out, they would use the method of forceful plucking would require a massive amount of yang energy.
They were essentially cows that were milked as wanted! As for Bai Lufeng? He was already milked several times already, and it was harsher than being cut by a thousand blades. This was also why they picked cultivators without a background to subject to this! There would be no retaliation if they suddenly vanished or were killed off by the White Crane Sect. If someone does look for them, they could simply justify their actions with a false crime. What more could they do?
BANG!!
Bai Lufeng viciously slammed into the bars once more with his full body weight, his bones produced an audible cracking sound, and a groan of pain resounded. The others who witnessed this couldn't help but shake their heads in pity. They've already accepted their fates, but when they first came here, they did everything he was doing.
"Let me go! My Young Lord isn't someone you wish to offend!" Bai Lufeng shouted towards whoever was guarding them, but he still didn't receive any response. "ARGH!! I swear! If you let me go right now, this event will be done, over, I'll even tell my Young Lord that...that...LET ME OUT!!"
BANG!!!
Bai Lufeng could feel the bones in his arm shatter, and his muscles were beyond bruised. The extraction of his primal yang energy severely weakened his body, causing it to be far more frail than normal. Despite this, he clenched his teeth in anger and cursed loudly.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The soft patter of footsteps resounded as a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a young man dressed in complete black, his face feminine and good-looking, his eyes suffused with indifferent arrogance at all beneath the heavens, and a dominating aura that permeated the surroundings emanated from his body. Bai Lufeng's gaze was drawn to this young man, and his face flushed with anger, but also hope.
Lifting up his battered body, he lunged towards the bars, clenching one in each hand tightly, and half his face attempting to seep through the gap. If one saw his bloodshot eyes, they'd see that hope and desperation was prevalent within. "Let me out...if you do, my Young Lord will reward you handsomely!" Bai Lufeng attempted to bargain for his freedom, but the young man only approached at a measured pace, obviously unconcerned.
Each sound of his steps sounded heavily within the room. It was as if it sounded off a strange cadence that led others hearts to its rhythm. When he arrived at the cage, all the prisoners looked at him with fearful gazes, "Reward?" The young man inquired as if curious about Bai Lufeng's proposition.
"What reward could this...Young Lord give me?"
Bai Lufeng gulped slightly, realizing that Yan Zaizen may be rich, but he wasn't nearly as wealthy as any imperial-tier force within the city. He could barely match peak grand-tier forces in wealth. Not to mention, his cultivation was a little too low to be used as a threat against the White Crane Sect. They were a heavenly-tier force after all! "He could give you...a True Essence Sublimation Pill!" Bai Lufeng said, his voice grasped at any hope.
He wasn't sure if Yan Zaizen would trade a True Essence Sublimation Pill for him, but he had to try.
"Hahaha," the young man laughed coldly, his eyes suffused with disdain and intense contempt. He was a mid-True Essence expert, what did he need a True Essence Sublimation Pill for? Not to mention, it wasn't some heaven-defying pill. No, it was a pill that only increases one's chances of ascending to the True Essence Realm or mid-stage - not a guarantee.
This was why Old Tai wasn't interested in Yan Zaizen's True Essence Sublimation Pill, his chances were horrendous to the extreme. Even if he took the pill, his chances would still be abysmal.
"You should get comfortable. You'll be here 'till death." The young man declared, turning around and taking his leave. He was only slightly amused by Bai Lufeng, but with this, it should thoroughly crush his spirit. However, how could Bai Lufeng just give up like that?
"I swear! If you don't let me out, you'll die! You'll all die!" The decibel of his voice went to its peak as the cage shook slightly as if responding to his threats with fear. However, all Bai Lufeng received was laughter from the shadows. Those in the cage shook their heads, resting once more, and awaiting their deaths. If one could see the look in their eyes, it was as if they were no longer alive.
Screaming until his voice was hoarse and his body dropped helplessly in exhaustion, Bai Lufeng weakly leaned against the bars with a diminished will. With Tao likely in trouble, Yan Zaizen unbeknownst of their plight, and with him stuck in this cage, it's unlikely that he'll live to see the sun once more.
This world was cruel.