Han Yu did not linger near the tunnels where he had conducted his test. Once the situation with the fallen slave was resolved and the supervising disciple had resud control of the formation, he moved away without drawing further attention to himself.
His steps remained unhurried, his deanor unchanged, as if the entire incident had been nothing more than a minor correction in routine discipline.
But internally, his focus had already shifted.
The success of the test had confird a critical piece of his plan, yet it was only one part of a much larger structure. Without a viable escape route, even the most refined thod of breaking the seal would be aningless. The slaves would remain trapped, surrounded by enemies, with no path to freedom.
Thus, his next priority was clear.
The formation plates.
Han Yu navigated through the tunnels with practiced familiarity, eventually reaching one of the concealed locations where he had hidden a formation plate.
The placent had been deliberate, tucked into a less noticeable crevice along the wall, partially obscured by natural rock formations and faint mineral deposits. To an untrained eye, it would appear as nothing more than an irregularity in the stone.
He knelt slightly and activated it.
The plate responded instantly, its surface lighting up faintly as stored information began to flow into his jade slip. Streams of mapped data transferred smoothly, rging with the existing structure he had already built.
Han Yu's eyes sharpened as he reviewed the incoming information.
'This is… a lot.'
More than he had expected.
The survey puppets had been active throughout his absence, continuing their exploration without interruption. The network of paths within his map expanded rapidly, branching into areas that had previously been blank.
Many of these newly discovered routes were underground channels filled with water.
So were narrow.
So were wide.
But most shared a common problem.
They were unusable.
Several were completely blocked, their paths sealed by dense layers of rock that had either collapsed naturally or shifted over ti. Others remained open but were far too confined for human passage, their dinsions restricting movent to only the smallest of creatures.
Han Yu studied them carefully.
Then, he noticed sothing important.
Not all blockages were the sa.
So of the obstructed paths were not sealed by solid stone. Instead, they were filled with compacted mud, loose sedint, and smaller rocks. These materials, while restrictive, were not permanent barriers.
They could be moved.
Removed.
Expanded.
Han Yu's thoughts aligned quickly.
'These… can be widened.'
That realization shifted the value of those routes significantly. What had once been dismissed as unusable now beca potential escape paths, provided they could be properly modified.
Without delay, Han Yu began adjusting his approach.
He retrieved several of the survey puppets and began modifying them directly within the tunnel. His movents were precise, efficient, reflecting the experience he had gained during his ti at Puppet Peak. Components were adjusted, internal chanisms recalibrated, and additional functions integrated.
The most important addition… Digging capability.
The puppets were not designed for heavy excavation, but with the right modifications, they could gradually clear softer obstructions. Mud could be displaced. Loose rocks could be pushed aside. Over ti, even narrow passages could be expanded enough for human traversal.
Han Yu worked thodically, ensuring that each puppet retained its stability while gaining this new functionality. Once completed, he replaced their spirit stones, replenishing their energy reserves to ensure continuous operation.
One by one, he redeployed them.
They vanished into the tunnels, slipping into narrow openings and subrged channels, continuing their silent work beneath the surface.
Only after securing this did Han Yu turn his attention to the next task.
Chitterfang.
He reached out through their connection.
The response did not co imdiately.
Han Yu did not react.
Instead, he waited.
Ti passed.
Hours.
Nearly a full day.
That alone told him sothing.
Chitterfang had gone far.
Very far.
When the connection finally strengthened, the small rat returned, erging from a distant tunnel before quickly making its way toward Han Yu. Its body carried traces of dirt and moisture, its whiskers twitching with visible excitent.
"I'm back!" Chitterfang said, its voice filled with energy.
Han Yu's gaze softened slightly, though his expression remained composed.
"What did you find?" he asked.
That was all the prompting Chitterfang needed.
It began speaking imdiately, words spilling out with barely contained enthusiasm.
"I found them! A lot of them!"
Han Yu's eyes sharpened.
"Who?"
"The Twin Leaf Peak disciples!" Chitterfang said eagerly. "They're in other parts of the mine. Different sections. Not connected directly, but I found ways through."
Han Yu's breath stilled for a fraction of a mont.
He did not interrupt.
Chitterfang continued.
"I had to dig through so places. Small tunnels. Very tight. But I made it through. And there were people on the other side. Slaves. So local clan people. So Blood Sect disciples too."
Han Yu nodded slightly.
"And the ones from our sect?"
"There are many," Chitterfang replied. "I counted as best as I could."
Han Yu's gaze deepened.
"How many?"
"Thirty four," Chitterfang said proudly. "From Twin Leaf Peak."
Han Yu felt a subtle shift within his chest.
Not relief.
Not yet.
But sothing close.
That number was not small.
Not insignificant.
It ant that a portion of their sect's younger generation had survived.
But Chitterfang was not finished.
"There's soone else too," it added.
Han Yu's focus sharpened instantly.
"Who?"
"Wu Shuan."
For a brief mont…
Han Yu's composure nearly broke.
Wu Shuan.
Of all the nas…
That was the one he had hoped for the most.
He closed his eyes briefly, steadying himself.
"His condition?" Han Yu asked.
"Good," Chitterfang replied. "He has the slave seal, but his body is fine. Just so scars. Nothing serious."
Han Yu nodded slowly.
That was enough.
That was more than enough.
Chitterfang continued listing others. Junior disciples. So who had trained alongside Han Yu. So who had never even entered the inheritance grounds. Faces from the past, now reduced to silent laborers within the depths of the mine.
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