Han Yu's eyes darkened slightly.

'Unacceptable.'

He dismissed that option immediately.

He would not sacrifice them.

That was never part of the plan.

Thus, he continued searching.

Thinking.

Analyzing.

And slowly…

An idea began to form.

Not from the technique itself.

But from another field.

Alchemy.

More specifically… Poisons.

Han Yu's thoughts shifted direction.

There were substances capable of inducing states that mimicked death.

Not true death.

But close enough.

States where the body ceased most functions.

Where the pulse slowed.

Where even the flow of Qi became nearly undetectable.

If the seal responded to the condition of the host…

Then perhaps…

It could be deceived.

Han Yu began recalling known substances.

One by one.

Evaluating them.

Discarding those that were unsuitable.

Then one came to mind.

A well-known item.

Rare.

Potent.

The Death Mimic Shroom.

A mushroom capable of inducing a state of suspended death.

Even a Nascent Soul cultivator could be affected by it.

Han Yu considered it carefully.

Then shook his head.

Too strong.

Far too strong.

The duration alone made it unusable.

A week.

At minimum.

That was not escape.

That was burial.

The slaves needed to move.

To act.

To escape.

Not lie dormant.

Han Yu continued.

Searching.

Refining.

There had to be something.

A balance.

A substance that could temporarily disrupt the seal's perception without incapacitating the host completely.

It would not be easy.

But it was possible.

Han Yu opened his eyes.

The soul space faded.

His consciousness returned.

Without delay, he stood and left the chamber.

His destination was clear.

The library of Puppet Peak.

If there was an answer…

It would be there.

And he would find it.

Han Yu did not approach the problem recklessly.

Once he arrived at the Puppet Peak library, he did not immediately search for solutions with urgency or impatience. Instead, he slowed his thoughts, organized what he already knew, and then began his research methodically.

The key was not to find just any method that mimicked death, but to find one that could bypass the seal's detection without triggering its defensive mechanisms.

That meant precision.

Control.

And above all, reversibility.

He began with the most direct category.

Poisons.

The Puppet Peak library, though focused primarily on puppet arts, still contained extensive cross-disciplinary records. After all, puppet creation often required knowledge of alchemy, formations, and even curse-based materials. Within its shelves were countless manuals, fragmented notes, and compiled records from generations of cultivators.

Han Yu sifted through them one by one.

Slowly.

Carefully.

He found several entries that were relevant.

Many described poisons capable of inducing a death-like state. These ranged from simple paralytics that suppressed vital signs to complex concoctions that could temporarily halt the flow of Qi and blood.

But most of them shared the same flaw.

They were either too weak…

Or too strong.

Some only affected the body, leaving the soul untouched. These would not deceive the Doll Seal, which was rooted deeper than mere physical functions. Others were potent enough to suppress both body and Qi, but came with severe side effects.

Organ damage. Permanent loss of cultivation. Even actual death if not administered perfectly.

Han Yu dismissed them all.

One by one.

Then, he found something different.

A pill.

Not a poison.

A healing item.

The Total Stasis Pill.

Han Yu's eyes lingered on the description as he read.

This pill was designed for extreme cases. Cultivators afflicted by fatal curses, wounds that could not be treated immediately, or conditions that would lead to inevitable death within a short time.

The pill would place the user into a state of total stasis, halting all bodily functions and freezing the progression of damage.

In that state…

They would appear dead.

Completely.

No pulse.

No Qi fluctuations.

No detectable life.

Han Yu's gaze deepened.

'This…'

This was exactly the kind of effect he needed.

But as he continued reading, his expression returned to calm neutrality.

Grandmaster-level alchemy.

Rare materials.

Extremely complex refinement process.

Even obtaining a single pill would be difficult.

Obtaining enough was simply impossible.

There were thousands of slaves in the mine.

Even if he only targeted a small group, the numbers were still far beyond what he could support with such a method.

Han Yu closed the book.

'Not viable.'

He moved on.

His search continued.

Hours passed.

Then a day.

Then another.

Han Yu did not rush. He did not skim. Every piece of information was examined, cross-referenced, and evaluated. Most of what he found was either impractical or irrelevant.

Until…

He came across something unexpected.

It was not a formal manual.

Nor a structured record.

It was a collection of notes.

Personal.

Unorganized.

Almost chaotic.

The writings of an alchemist.

Han Yu flipped through the pages slowly.

Most of it was… nonsensical.

Half-formed theories.

Failed experiments.

Ideas that had never been tested.

Speculations that bordered on madness.

Under normal circumstances, Han Yu would have dismissed it entirely.

But something made him pause.

He continued reading.

And then…

A paragraph caught his attention.

He stopped.

Went back.

Read it again.

The text was crude, lacking refinement, but the idea within it was… intriguing.

"If the soul itself could be stunned," the alchemist had written, "then the body would enter a state indistinguishable from death. However, such a method is inherently fatal, as the soul governs all functions. Without it, the body cannot sustain itself."

Han Yu's eyes narrowed slightly.

The text continued.

"Yet… i theorize that if the stun could be controlled, limited in duration and intensity, it may be possible to simulate death without actual termination. The challenge lies in precision. Too little, and the effect is insufficient. Too much, and the subject dies."

Silence followed.

Han Yu remained still, the words echoing in his mind.

Then, slowly…

Understanding dawned.

Not from the text alone.

But from his own knowledge.

His own abilities.

His soul techniques.

The connection formed instantly.

'Soul… stunning.'

Han Yu's thoughts sharpened.

The alchemist had only theorized it.

Speculated.

Never tested it.

But Han Yu…

He had something far more concrete.

His techniques.

The Soul Needle.

The Soul Petrifying Glare.