The day began like any other.

There was no omen, no disturbance in the rhythm of the mine. The tunnels echoed with the same controlled strikes of tools against stone, the same measured footsteps of slaves moving toward their assigned sections, and the same passive oversight of supervisors who had long since grown accustomed to routine.

Nothing stood out. Nothing hinted at what was about to unfold.

Han Yu moved among them as Ju Fan.

Unnoticed.

Unquestioned.

He followed the expected patterns just long enough to maintain appearances, walking along familiar paths, occasionally pausing to observe, occasionally speaking with supervising disciples in a tone befitting his position. There was nothing unusual in his behavior, nothing that would draw attention.

And then, at the right moment...

He disappeared.

Not abruptly.

Not in a way that would be noticed.

He simply shifted his path.

A slight deviation.

A turn into a less frequented tunnel.

From there, another.

Then another.

Until he reached a section of the mine that few had reason to visit.

Unexplored.

Unmonitored.

Silent.

Han Yu paused briefly, his spirit sense sweeping outward to confirm what he already expected.

No one.

No surveillance formations active within range.

No disturbances.

Only then did he move.

He stepped toward a seemingly ordinary section of the wall and pressed lightly against it. The rock shifted almost imperceptibly, revealing a narrow opening just wide enough for a single person to pass through.

A hidden path.

One of many he had created.

Han Yu slipped inside.

The entrance sealed behind him, leaving no trace of its existence.

From there, he moved quickly.

The underground network stretched before him, a labyrinth known only to him and his constructs. The tunnels twisted and turned, some descending deeper, others curving back upward, all interconnected in a way that defied simple mapping.

Han Yu navigated it without hesitation.

Three hours passed.

Three hours of continuous movement through narrow passages, concealed routes, and carefully constructed pathways. The distance was considerable, but he did not slow. Every step brought him closer to the center of his plan.

Finally he arrived at the chamber.

Hidden.

Reinforced.

Prepared.

The faint sound of water echoed nearby, the steady flow of the underground river serving as a constant reminder of what lay ahead. The formations embedded within the chamber pulsed faintly, maintaining stability and readiness.

Han Yu stepped into the center.

Then, without delay, he retrieved a formation plate.

He activated it.

SHUA

The response was immediate.

Threads of connection spread outward, linking to every puppet he had deployed throughout the mine. Survey units, aquatic constructs, modified mining puppets, retrieval mechanisms. All of them.

All within his control.

Han Yu closed his eyes briefly.

Then opened them.

And began.

His commands flowed through the formation plate with precision, each instruction directed to specific units in specific locations. The puppets responded instantly, shifting from passive operation to active coordination.

Some moved toward the designated collapse points.

Others positioned themselves within the underground rivers.

A group gathered within the chamber itself, ready to assist in extraction once the slaves arrived.

Everything moved into place.

At the same time, Han Yu’s thoughts extended beyond the mine.

Far to the east.

Beyond the mountains.

There, hidden from view and far removed from any suspicion, lay a small lake.

Isolated.

Unremarkable.

And yet...

Connected.

Through months of work, Han Yu had carved a path linking the underground river network to that lake. It was not a direct route, nor an obvious one, but it existed.

And at that destination...

Help awaited.

Qing Luan.

She had been prepared long in advance.

Han Yu had contacted her carefully, presenting a modified version of his intentions. He had not revealed everything, but he had told enough. The suffering of the slaves. The cruelty of their condition. The opportunity to strike at the sect in a meaningful way.

That had been enough.

Qing Luan had agreed without hesitation.

Her loyalty, once given, was absolute.

She had gathered her people.

Positioned them near the lake.

Hidden.

Waiting.

Ready to receive those who would emerge from the depths.

Han Yu did not allow himself to dwell on that.

Everything was in place.

Everything was ready.

There was no reason to delay.

He extended his spirit sense once more, checking the positions of the slaves.

One by one.

Section by section.

All aligned.

Exactly as planned.

Han Yu exhaled slowly.

Then... He activated the formations.

HUMM

Deep within the mine, hidden beneath layers of rock and sediment, the small explosive arrays he had placed months ago came to life.

For a brief moment...

There was silence.

Then—

BOOM!

The first explosion shattered the stillness.

Then another.

And another.

BOOM BOOM BOOM.

The mine trembled.

Shockwaves rippled through the tunnels, dislodging loose rock and sending vibrations through the reinforced structures. The sudden chaos broke the monotony instantly, replacing it with confusion and alarm.

Supervisors froze.

Disciples turned.

"What was that—"

Before the question could be completed... 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The ground gave way.

In multiple locations.

Simultaneously.

Slaves who had been working moments before were suddenly swallowed by the earth as entire sections collapsed beneath them. The fall was immediate, leaving no time for reaction, no chance to resist.

With the seals, even the core condensation realm slaves couldn’t do much. As such they disappeared. Consumed by the darkness below.

The supervisors rushed forward, panic replacing their earlier complacency. They reached the edges of the newly formed pits, looking down into the depths.

What they saw...

Was not a simple collapse.

A raging river surged below, its current violent and relentless, carrying debris and bodies alike into the unknown.

"This... how?"

They did not understand.

They could not understand.

And before they could process it fully, more explosions echoed throughout the mine.

Han Yu had not limited the detonations to only the necessary points.

He had expanded them.

Scattered them.

Creating chaos across multiple sections.

To any observer, it would appear as a widespread structural failure.

A natural disaster.

Unpredictable.

Uncontainable.

More than a hundred slaves fell into the rivers.