Each name added weight to Han Yu's thoughts.

Each confirmation strengthened his resolve.

But not all news was good.

"There's no sign of Fatty Kui," Chitterfang said after a pause.

Han Yu's expression remained unchanged, but his thoughts shifted.

Relief and concern.

Both at once.

If Fatty Kui had not been captured, it meant he might have escaped the disaster entirely. But it also meant there was no certainty. No confirmation of his safety.

Han Yu could only hope.

"There were no peak heads either," Chitterfang added.

Han Yu's gaze lowered slightly.

That… was expected.

But hearing it confirmed still carried weight.

The three Peak Heads had been far stronger than any of the disciples. Dao Treading realm experts were not easily subdued. Capturing them alive would have been difficult, perhaps impossible without significant losses.

More likely was the fact that they had chosen death rather than submission.

Han Yu did not dwell on it.

There was no benefit in doing so.

Instead, he focused on what he had.

Thirty four disciples.

Alive.

Within reach.

And many more from allied sects.

But even as that thought formed…

Another followed.

A harsher one.

He could not save them all.

The realization was immediate.

Unavoidable.

The scale of the operation, the complexity of the escape, the risks involved… everything pointed to a single conclusion.

There was a limit.

A limit to how many people he could move.

A limit to how many he could protect.

Han Yu's eyes remained calm.

But his thoughts hardened.

'If I must choose…'

The decision formed without hesitation.

He would prioritize those closest to him.

Those he knew.

Those he trusted.

It was a selfish choice.

A cruel one.

But it was necessary.

Saving some…

Was better than losing all.

Han Yu exhaled slowly.

Then looked at Chitterfang.

"Good work," he said.

The rat beamed with pride.

But Han Yu's gaze had already shifted.

Back to the tunnels.

Back to the map.

Back to the plan.

Because now…

The real preparation would begin.

Han Yu stood within one of the deeper tunnels, his gaze fixed on the jade slip in his hand as layers of mapped routes flickered across its surface.

The network had grown immensely over the past months, no longer resembling a mine but something closer to a living organism. Tunnels branched and reconnected, rivers carved unseen paths beneath, and hidden routes linked sections that had once appeared isolated.

Now, the question was no longer whether escape was possible.

It was how to execute it.

That was the hardest part.

Not the mapping.

Not the preparation.

But the moment itself.

The escape had to happen under constant observation. Every slave was monitored. Every section had supervisors. Curse masters ensured the stability of the seals. The formations embedded throughout the mine served as silent sentinels, ready to detect irregularities.

Han Yu could not simply gather people and leave.

That would fail instantly.

The plan had to be hidden within the routine.

It had to look like an accident.

Or something natural.

His gaze shifted slightly as he studied the layered map again.

The answer lay beneath everything.

The underground rivers.

From months of mapping and exploration, both through his puppets and Chitterfang, Han Yu had come to understand the complexity of the water network. These rivers were not linear. They twisted, branched, and intersected at multiple points, forming a concealed web beneath the mine.

Some crossings were narrow.

Some were wide.

Some were stable.

Some were volatile.

Han Yu focused on one specific region.

A convergence point.

Several underground streams intersected there, forming a larger flow that extended beyond the mapped boundaries. The terrain above it was layered with unstable rock and sediment, making it particularly vulnerable to collapse under the right conditions.

He marked it.

Then, he began to consider positioning.

The slaves could not all be gathered at once. That would raise suspicion. But if he selected individuals from nearby sections, those who worked within a certain radius of the convergence point, then over time, their shifts and movements could align.

Close enough.

Not obvious.

Han Yu's thoughts sharpened.

'This is the point.'

The execution formed in his mind with increasing clarity.

At the right time, when the selected slaves were within proximity, he would trigger a controlled collapse. The ground beneath them would give way, sending them directly into the underground river.

From there, the current would carry them away.

Fast.

Unpredictable.

And most importantly…

Out of the immediate control of the supervisors.

Han Yu's fingers tightened slightly around the jade slip.

'And then…'

Then he would intercept them.

At a prepared location downstream.

There, he would catch them, stabilize them, and begin modifying their seals.

The plan was dangerous.

Extremely so.

But it was the only viable path.

Han Yu exhaled slowly.

There was no room for hesitation.

Only preparation.

And preparation…

Would take time.

A lot of it.

He could not rely on others. That was a given. No one could be trusted with knowledge of this plan. Not within the sect. Not within the mine.

That left him with only one option.

Puppets.

Han Yu increased their number steadily over time.

Survey puppets.

Aquatic puppets.

Mining puppets.

Each type served a different function, and all were integrated into his growing system.

The aquatic puppets were tasked with expanding and connecting the underground rivers, clearing pathways where possible and identifying stable routes where movement could occur.

The mining puppets worked above, reinforcing certain areas while weakening others, shaping the terrain subtly over time in unexplored areas of mine or undergorund tunnels that didn't have water.

Nothing was done abruptly.

Everything was gradual.

Natural.

Over the course of months, the underground network changed.

Small blockages were cleared.

Narrow passages widened.

Connections between rivers were established where none had existed before.

At the same time, Han Yu began constructing the interception point.

This was even more delicate.

It had to be hidden.

Stable enough to hold multiple individuals.

And positioned precisely along the flow of the river.