As Han Yu's companions watched in confusion and fear, Han Yu knew he had to act now.
Meng Jueyan remained rooted to the spot for an instant, caught between roles, until she heard his faint whisper, low enough that only she could catch it amidst the chaos. "Run. Pretend you retreated."
Her expression did not shift from terror, but her body obeyed. Without a word, she turned sharply and sprinted toward one of the paths, vanishing into the shadows of the corridor as if fleeing for her life.
Only once she was gone did the others react fully.
Wu Shuan and Fatty Kui rushed to Han Yu's side, both believing he had suffered severe backlash. Their hands reached for him in support, their voices loud with panic. Yet even as they tried to help, danger had not ended.
The altars continued to blaze, discharging bolts of destructive energy across the chamber. One beam nearly clipped Fatty Kui's shoulder, while another seared the air inches from Wu Shuan's head.
Han Yu forced himself upright, waving them back sharply.
"The altars have not stopped!" he shouted, his tone urgent. "Do not linger here. Run into one of the new paths, but do not go too deep. Stay near the entrance so we do not trigger more traps."
His companions hesitated only for a moment before nodding.
Their barrier was breaking apart, the protective talismans overstrained, and they knew he was right. Together they made for the left passage among the two new passages, fleeing from the center of the hall while the wrath of the altars scorched the stone floor behind them.
The group stumbled into the mouth of the new passage, their breaths ragged and their bodies drenched in sweat.
The dim corridor was still alive with the glow of faint runes on the walls, but at least here the deadly bolts from the altars did not reach them. The silence compared to the chaos of the hall was overwhelming, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, they could let their guards down just a little.
Fatty Kui slumped against the wall, clutching his shoulder where one of the beams had grazed him. Wu Shuan sat cross-legged, already pulling out a bottle of medicine to coat the burns along his arm.
Senior Brother Duan and Xuan Qing stayed standing, scanning the surroundings to ensure no sudden traps were triggered in their brief moment of rest. The atmosphere was thick with both relief and lingering tension.
It was Senior Brother Duan who finally broke the silence, his expression still grim. "That female disciple of the Mist Eye Sect… she ran. We should not leave loose ends. If she brings reinforcements, we may regret letting her go."
His heart gave a faint tremor. If they truly decided to pursue Meng Jueyan, all his careful maneuvering would collapse. She was supposed to escape unharmed, her cover intact, and chasing her would only risk exposing the truth of their alliance. He quickly composed himself and spoke firmly before the others could agree.
"It is best we do not," Han Yu said, his voice steady. "Think carefully. You all saw the shifting halls earlier. Returning along that path risks triggering more traps. If the maze changes again, we could be sealed inside with no way forward. And if there are reinforcements as you say, chasing after her would only throw us back into their arms without the barriers to shield us."
The others fell silent, considering his words. Even Senior Brother Duan's furrowed brow softened a little as he mulled it over. Han Yu pressed the point further, his tone calm but carrying conviction.
"Besides, what would be the point of pursuing one survivor? We have already paid in blood and strength to reach this far. Should we abandon the real goal now, just to silence one enemy? The treasures of the repository lie ahead. Every moment we waste here, we give other sects the chance to claim them before us."
Wu Shuan, who had been quietly bandaging his arm, lifted his head and nodded. "Han Yu is right. If we go chasing, we only exhaust ourselves more. Better to focus on what lies ahead. Otherwise all of Han Yu's efforts would be wasted."
Those words struck a chord in the group.
All eyes turned to Han Yu again, and for a moment, silence reigned. They all remembered clearly how he had turned the tide against the Mist Eye Sect disciples. The image of him cutting down one enemy after another lingered in their minds. He had felled nearly every one of them except for the fleeing girl.
No one could deny that their survival was owed in large part to him.
But confusion lingered in their gazes. How had he done it? The paralysis of the Mist Eye Sect disciples was unlike anything they had ever seen. Even now, their faces betrayed the same unspoken question.
Han Yu noticed, of course.
He could see it in the way Senior Brother Duan's eyes narrowed, in the way Xuan Qing's lips pressed into a thin line, and in the flickers of unease among the others. He had expected this. He had known from the moment he unleashed the Soul Petrifying Glare that he would need a cover.
Thankfully, he had prepared a story.
Xuan Qing finally voiced what the others had only been thinking. "Junior Brother Han… what exactly happened back there? How did you bring them down? What technique was that?"
Han Yu gave a dry laugh, wiping sweat from his forehead as though weary from the memory. "It was not a technique at all. It was poison."
The group blinked, startled. "Poison?" Senior Brother Duan repeated, his tone laced with both suspicion and intrigue.
Han Yu nodded. "Yes. A paralyzing poison. You all saw me use the smoke screen earlier, yes? That was the first half. Alone, the smoke does nothing but obscure vision. But in truth, it is part of a two-part poison. When combined with the secondary activation agent, it turns into a potent paralyzing mist." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝙣𝙚𝙩