C9 Lowly Peasant

Nearly all of the Hero Sect's structures were perched atop the mountain, with Hengshan being the notable exception.

Hengshan served as the Hero Sect's hub for daily weapon and tool production. While weapon refinement wasn't the sect's main focus, their millennia of heritage had nonetheless yielded a respectable cadre of craftsmen and Array Masters.

Together, these artisans and Array Masters crafted the everyday tools and spiritual artifacts required by the Hero Sect within the confines of Hengshan.

The Henggang Mountain range was known for its red crystals, a type of fiery gemstone, and there was a good reason for that. Nestled at the mountain's base was a naturally occurring source of subterranean fire. It was here that Hengshan was constructed, leveraging the robust earth fire to forge equipment and spiritual weapons of commendable quality for the Hero Sect.

Hengshan's attendants led Xu Tianzhi down from the mountain's peak and into a cavern. The further they ventured, the more expansive and hotter the environment became.

Before long, Xu Tianzhi was standing at the entrance to an immense cavern, a space so vast within the mountain that it defied his expectations.

However, Xu Tianzhi's wonder quickly turned to concern. Within this cavernous expanse, he saw numerous slaves, their garments reduced to mere rags, toiling away.

These slaves hefted hefty ores on their backs, trudging toward a massive furnace set into the earth. As the ores were cast into the flames, they melted rapidly into a molten state.

The furnace churned with fiery liquid, emitting plumes of black smoke as the ore's impurities were incinerated and dispersed into the atmosphere.

A dark red liquid seeped from an outlet at the furnace's base, trickling through a conduit. After passing through a sealed chamber, it emerged as shimmering, metallic blocks, cool to the eye.

Surrounding this grand space, countless slaves, clad in tattered clothes and with numb expressions, mechanically performed their tasks. Patrolling the perimeter, several low-ranking Protoss with bovine features wielded long whips, ensuring order.

The Tauren, a common sight among the lower echelons of the Protoss, were known for their average abilities and modest talents. Yet, their formidable strength, remarkable stamina, and unwavering loyalty made them a preferred choice for many sects' labor needs.

"Clang!" A slave, burdened with a hefty ore, collapsed from exhaustion.

"Trash!" bellowed a minotaur, as he snapped his whip, the lash striking the slave with a sharp crack.

"Snap!" A streak of blood instantly marred the slave's flesh, accompanied by a piercing scream.

Blood gushed from the wounds; the minotaur's strength was beyond belief. The whip had not merely left a mark, but carved a deep gash.

"Useless trash, you lowlifes can't even handle the simplest tasks!" the minotaur shouted, delivering another cruel blow. Screams echoed once more.

"Pathetic waste, just die!" The minotaur's fury unleashed, his whip lashing like a tempest.

Xu Tianzhi's veins throbbed at the sight. The slave was now a blur of blood and flesh, lifeless from the brutal beating.

For a minor error, the tauren had remorselessly snuffed out a life.

The surrounding slaves and tauren watched in mute acceptance. In this world, commoners were the lowest rung, subjected to relentless injustice; slaves were utterly devoid of any human rights.

Though accustomed to the continent's ways, Xu Tianzhi, deep in his soul, clung to a belief in equality. The brutality before him was intolerable.

"Stop hitting him!" Xu Tianzhi's shout thundered.

The tauren turned, their gaze falling on Xu Tianzhi. Towering nearly three meters, their hybrid bull-human form was unnerving. Under their intense scrutiny, Xu Tianzhi's skin crawled.

"Huang, who's this kid? Why's he at our Hengshan Furnace?" one minotaur barked at the attendant by Xu Tianzhi's side.

"Sir, this is Xu Tianzhi, an apprentice of the sect and a Level Three Array Master, come to inscribe arrays on our equipment," Huang replied with deference.

"A sect's apprentice?" Respect flickered in the minotaur's eyes.

On the Sky Heart Continent, a place of rigid hierarchies, the Hero Sect was no different. At the top stood the sect master, followed by the elders of the various halls, and then the law enforcement teams and disciples.

The second tier consists of various staff members who assist in managing the sect's operations, much like these minotaurs here.

At the bottom rung are the slaves. To the Hero Sect, they are merely tools to provide labor.

The Hero Sect maintains a workforce of over a hundred thousand slaves, the majority being ordinary people, along with several thousand workers. It's the presence of these individuals that ensures the smooth functioning of the Hero Sect, freeing those in the top echelon from the burden of daily trivialities.

"Since he's an apprentice, you should take him to Lord Zhang," the minotaur said with a measure of respect, acknowledging the rigid hierarchy. Despite being a lower-tier Protoss, he was compelled to bow his bovine head to an apprentice one rank above him.

Ordinary humans capable of cultivation can ascend to the ranks of the mighty. In this world, there are numerous human masters, and apprentices with the ability to cultivate hold a unique status.

While apprentices may not confront him outright, it's relatively simple to manipulate circumstances and reassign him to less desirable locations.