Humans are equal.
But shadows are not the same.
A shadow is a resource.
Qi Xiaojin, upon joining the sect, was at the very bottom among the official disciples.
Among these lowest-ranked disciples, some had lingered at the bottom for years without improving their strength due to the quality of their shadows. Thus, they would seize the shadows of new disciples to help them advance and move up.
Without a shadow, or with a poor-quality shadow, considering the cultivation techniques of the Black Withered Saint Sect, one's cultivation progress cannot be compared to others, and they would only gradually fade into obscurity, or even be expelled from the sect due to their low ranking.
Senior disciples would take the shadows of new disciples, but wouldn't do so ruthlessly; otherwise, the sect, which turns a blind eye to such matters, would impose a penalty.
