The rune pattern beneath the beam of light quivered faintly, like a living thing breathing. Chen Wuya stared at a warped, broken line along the edge of the design, lightly drawing a finger down the seam of his trousers. The Misaligned Practice Connects to Spirit system immediately sent a warm tremor through him—sure enough, this method shared the same underlying principle as the Canglang Art's "reversing qi three inches to replenish the Mingmen."
He did not move.
The team behind him was so quiet that they could hear the faint hum on the bronze disc's surface. Bai Zhi stood half a step behind and to his left. Her sword remained sheathed, but her fingertips already rested on the end of its hilt, her knuckles slightly taut.
"It's not a trap." The leader's voice came from ahead, his gaze behind the mask sweeping over the runes. "It's a trial seal. One wrong step, and your meridians will destroy themselves."
"I know." Chen Wuya finally spoke, his voice quiet. "But it doesn't judge right from wrong. It recognizes 'force.'"
With that, he raised his right foot, yet instead of stepping toward the center of the rune pattern, he took a diagonal stride. His foot landed three inches off, directly upon a line that appeared to be broken. The ground trembled faintly. The rune light abruptly dimmed for an instant before flaring back up, its rhythm of circulation unexpectedly changing.
Someone among the guardians gasped softly.
"He... triggered a shifting formation?" one murmured.
Chen Wuya withdrew his foot, the corner of his mouth lifting. "You guard the rules. I walk through loopholes. It defends against people who follow every step in order—it isn't afraid of those who make a mess of it."
The leader fell silent for a moment, then raised a hand