Jin sits with his back against the cold wall, "I swear to the buddha, this is the type of thing that happens the one time I go out".

Shen laughs at Jin's remark while observing the surroundings. After looking around for a bit Shen realized they were not the only ones that were captured. From first glance Shen could tell the others here were also low-ranking escorts. Furthermore, for some reason they were not able to communicate across cells, it was probably the effect of some form of array.

Shen spoke to Jin "It seems that this dungeon holds multiple prisoners such as our self, judging from their attire and build I think they are also free lance escorts like us".

Jin responded "Why do you think they captured us", Shen thought for a minute before answering "Judging by the numbers and the fact that none of us are dead yet, its probably some form of sacrificial art".

Jin scratched his head before asking Shen "Why would they capture escorts though, I'm sure it would've been easier to capture a few villagers". Shen answered "I can think of three good reasons. Firstly capturing low-rank escorts who are most likely to die in missions could be passed of as simply unfortunate incidents. Secondly going for villages where there are minimal occupational hazards would most definitely raise some eyebrows. Finally, perhaps the art they are performing requires individuals who have trained their body and mind to some extent."

The thought of dying for a sacrificial art without being able to even put up a fight made Jin feel helpless. It reminded him of his days in the orphanage, times he was forced to toil day and night, all for naught. Jin wanted to get up and crush the bars of the gate and leave this place immediately, but, he couldn't feel any strength in his body.

It was probably the effects of whatever drug he was fed by the convoy. Although Shen looked rather calm and collected he to was seething inside.

Some time had passed since they had come to the dungeon, finally they saw a light from outside the cells approaching them. There were two masked men, with some stale bread in their hands, they dropped the food off at each cell, and walked away without saying anything.

Shen realized what the intent of this was. After examining the food for a bit, he could tell it contained a drug similar to what they were given in the caravan. If the prisoners ate the food, they would lose consciousness for a few minutes and if they chose not to eat they would simply lose the strength to resist anyways.

Shen waited for the guards’ footsteps to fade before speaking, his voice low enough not to echo.
“Don’t eat it,” he warned. “They’ve drugged the food to keep us in a semi-conscious state and restrain our strength. Convenient way to make sure no one breaks their seal.”. Jin kicked the bread aside with mild annoyance. “Figures. Can’t even die with a full stomach.”

After observing the situation for some more time Shen assumes a lotus position and starts to meditate, Jin seems a bit perplexed by this but decides not to say anything for now.

Jin shout at Shen "Its been a whole fucking day how long are you going to meditate for". Shen does not respond and continues to meditate, Jin half starved decides he doesn't have the energy to break Shen's silent treatment and decides to sleep.

After a few more hours Jin is woken up by Shen, Jin half dazed asks Shen why he woke him up. Shen speak to Jin “There’s something… humming beneath us.”.

Shen continues, "There is a formation attached to this dungeon, rather,

The entire structure is part of a formation — two linked arrays working together. One locks the physical gates; the other suppresses the control nodes. Break one, and the other restores it. Its an array I've seen before."

Jin responds to this "Where did you see such an array?", to Jin's question Shen said nothing. Noticing he had been ignored Jin decided to move on to a question that Shen would answer "Even if we know there is an array beneath us there isn't really anything we can do about it, is there?". A small smile sprouted on Shen's face "If we were any normal cultivators maybe there wouldn't have been anything thing we could do about it, but, unfortunately these fools brought in two intent art users to a dungeon that uses a formation that can be manipulated by intent. Truly unlucky bastards".

Jin wore a look of confusion, while scratching his head he asked Shen "Brother Shen, what exactly are intent arts" Shen's expression froze for a moment, his gaze locking onto Jin with a dumbfounded stare that made Jin shift uneasily.

“What?” Jin asked. “You look like I just sprouted a second head.”

Shen didn’t reply immediately. His focus sharpened, almost piercing. “Your soul…” he muttered. “It bears weight — the kind only seen in those who’ve cultivated intent.”

Jin frowned. “Intent again? You keep saying that like I’m supposed to know what it means.”

Shen leaned closer, studying him for a long moment before speaking again, half to himself. “No refinement, no markings of technique… and yet your resonance drags the air. Impossible.”

He let out a slow breath, the edge of disbelief fading into a thin smile. “You’ve trained in something, haven’t you? Something that's deeply connected to human will and desire.”

Jin hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. My teacher called it momentum arts. Said it was about feeling the flow of things — driving your desires through your soul to collate a form of energy.”

Shen blinked once, then laughed quietly — not mockingly, but in genuine surprise. “Momentum arts… I have of that name before.”

“You know it?”. “Know it? I studied its remnants,” Shen said, amusement curling through his tone. “A crude method, born long before intent arts were properly formed. The technique was banned and died out in the Jianhu centuries ago — too instinctive, too dangerous. But it sought the same truth.”

Jin raised an eyebrow. “The same truth?”

“Yes,” Shen said, his eyes softening as he began to explain. “Momentum gathers energy in a place not seen or named — somewhere beyond flesh and breath. It gathers what it feels and sends that energy down into the body through the upper dantian, merging awareness with motion. It’s the world pouring itself into you.”

He lifted his hand, tracing faint golden ripples through the air that vanished as soon as they appeared. “Intent, however, walks the opposite path. It pulls you through the upper dantian — draws the soul outward and manifests a sliver of it into reality. It is not the world moving through you… it’s you pressing yourself upon the world.”

Jin thought for a moment "How does intent give you strength, Momentum draws energy, however, intent simply manifests the soul". Shen thought for a moment before answering "To be honest with you, I'm not sure. From what I've heard back home by having the soul and body in the same plane the body seems to become stronger, not in terms of pure force only but from various matters. Even after Intent arts reached a state comparable to Qi cultivation this question wasn't answered completely. On another note, as interesting as this topic is lets discuss it when we aren't locked in what could be an illegal pleasure cellar". The laughter faded, leaving the faint hum of the array beneath them once more.

Shen said, glancing toward the glowing cracks in the floor, “we train. The formation here is a dual-part array — one locks the gates, the other shields the controls. Both must be broken at the same instant. With two intent users, that’s possible.”

“Except I’m not one.”

“Not yet,” Shen corrected. “But your foundation is perfect. It’ll take about a week to teach you the basics — how to focus, define, and project will without energy. Once you learn that, we’ll break free.”

“A week in this hole, huh?” Jin muttered. “You’d better make the lessons interesting.”

“I’ll do my best,” Shen replied dryly. “Though I warn you, my teaching style involves a lot of failure and minimal comfort.”

“Perfect,” Jin said. “Reminds me of the old dog back home.”