Hours later, during the time after they had been Encased ~~~

The clouds had cleared from concealing the massive inner disciple and core disciple mountains. A myriad of stars spattered the sky, far easirer to see than anything that the modern world could show.

Moonlight shone down from the two large, coupled spheres hanging in the sky, one rather smaller than the other, and a faint chill hushed through the air.

The whole sect was winding down in comparison to the commotions of the day. Night was when the disciples would retreat to their shared dormitories or the personal abodes they had earned, for the purposes of their private cultivation.

However, even with that said, this was largely for those that were in the latter stages of the Complete Body Refinement realm and those within Qi Condensation realms.

The training grounds, even at these times so deep into the night, were filled with disciples within the lower sub realms of body refinement, whether it be Muscle, Bone, Flesh, Tendon or Skin Refinement, were all still out on the training grounds, their bodies toiling desperately so that they might progress closer to the true main realm of Body Refinement.

Only then would they be able to begin drawing Qi within themselves deliberately.

There were three inner disciple mountains and there was only one core disciple mountain. Then, nestled within those three mountains, the larger majority of the sect—the outer disciples—were within the wide, flat lands far beneath the peaks.

And looming higher over all of these, was the Main Lotus Peak, situated behind the core disciple mountain.

Drifting spirit rays guiding the cloud turtles that transported menials and the disciples left glowing trails through the air that shimmered down as the moon and star light did, down onto the Central Inner Disciple mountain.

Along with begin the hub for the most inner disciples—those that had just earned their promotions through advancement to Qi Condensation—it was where amongst other facilities, the Disciplinary Hall headquarters and prison were.

Deprived of the mystical sight, the wondrous sound of life and those unsettling grunts of suffering young men and women, deep below the surface of the ground, was where those serving temporary sentences, or awaiting their trials were kept.

And into this evening, the prison cells had been granted three new additions.

Deep underground, where the scent of earth and the unholiness’s of prisoners stenches clogged the air, Meng Jue, Xiao Bo and Mo Chen had been thrown into prisons beside each other.

Xiao Bo, had for a long time now, been banging his head against the cared stone walls surrounding them. His back was to the prison bars and he was standing on his knees as the next impact gonged so much harder that it dizzied him and he retreated shakily, blood slipping down his face.

A droplet spattered over the metal work shackles around his arms, and carved into them were inscriptions and one central formation that glowed.

"Motherfucker, stick your head through those bars and let get my hands on you! I’ll do you the favour of ripping the skin off that forehead! If not sit the fuck down!" One of the prisoners from a cell down from his side yelled.

And then, from down the other side of the line of cells, a shout from a different prisoner, a woman this time. And the sound of chains clattering came from her cell. "His lackey ought to stop muttering to himself as well."

Mo Chen, since their condemnation to these cells in wait for Elder Han Tieliang to gather the other elders for their trial, had been, with his head clutched in his hands and his eyes widened, muttering wildly incoherent sentences to himself.

His knees were drawn upwards and his head was buried within the gap between them where hey spread, tear drops drizzling over the now muddy patch of ground.

And between the two of them, Meng Jue sat with his brows furrowed as deep as the gap between the sect mountains. His jaw had been clenched so hard for so long that blood fell through the corners of his mouth, and his eyes silently scorched through the empty air ahead of himself.

Meng Jue’s back was to the wall, and his hands were clenched, bound in the same thick metal cuffs carved with inscriptions that everyone else between them had.

The wall ahead of them was empty, without any other cells. The prison cells only ran down one side of the wall. After all, these were only temporary prison holdings.

Trials were held swiftly and the cells were always cleared within the week at worst, whether that be through sentencing to the Gorge, banishment, probationary periods of menial work, or sent out as fodder against the Ashen Dusk sect whenever attacks might happen.

The chains of the woman clattered, and she seemed to have been close to speaking once more when suddenly all of the prisoners closer into this area went eerily silent.

Then, they heard sets of foot falls, crunching over the stone ground.

Meng Jue did not react until the three people that had come down walked directly towards the three of their cells.

"Get up. The elders have returned for your trial."

His furrowed brows struggled to soften themselves looking up to meet the gaze of the enforcer Xue Jingde. Meng Jue, as the enforcers hand went to touch the wall by the side of the cell, dragged himself up off of the floor.

A light shone from the activation of a formation, then the bars began to rise. Soon enough, they had disappeared up their holes in the wall and enforcer Xue Jingde gestured for Meng Jue to walk outside.

At the same time, the other enforcers that had come along with Xue Jingde had to walk into the cells to drag out Mo Chen and Xiao Bo who were not responsive.

And thereupon, the three enforcers walked them out, down the dark, stench filled wide path between the dozens of cells that lined the wall.