luaV_execute is the main interpreter loop.

void luaV_execute (lua_State *L) {
  CallInfo *ci = L->ci;
  LClosure *cl;
  TValue *k;
  StkId base;
  ci->callstatus |= CIST_FRESH;  /* fresh invocation of 'luaV_execute" */
 newframe:  /* reentry point when frame changes (call/return) */
  lua_assert(ci == L->ci);
  cl = clLvalue(ci->func);  /* local reference to function's closure */
  k = cl->p->k;  /* local reference to function's constant table */
  base = ci->u.l.base;  /* local copy of function's base */
  /* main loop of interpreter */
  for (;;) {
    Instruction i;
    StkId ra;
    vmfetch();
    vmdispatch (GET_OPCODE(i)) {
      vmcase(OP_MOVE) {
        // implementation of OP_MOVE
      }
      // other cases...
   }
  }
}

The implemented is simple: Fetch the next instruction with vmfetch and execute it.

An important detail is that register references, such as RA and RB, are based on relative position to the current stack position. Therefore, when stack re-allocation happened, all register pointers need to be invalidated.

/* fetch an instruction and prepare its execution */
#define vmfetch()	{ \
  i = *(ci->u.l.savedpc++); \
  if (L->hookmask & (LUA_MASKLINE | LUA_MASKCOUNT)) \
    Protect(luaG_traceexec(L)); \
  ra = RA(i); /* WARNING: any stack reallocation invalidates 'ra' */ \
  lua_assert(base == ci->u.l.base); \
  lua_assert(base <= L->top && L->top < L->stack + L->stacksize); \
}