The floor node pulsed beneath Yan’s left knee. One arm was free, the other wrist and both knees still held by the restraint array. The chosen self-burning art warmed his channels without hurting them. The forced flow from Zhao’s formation remained rough and unpleasant.
“Wait for the node to brighten,” Gu said. “Then send the force through the crossing.”
Yan watched the mark. His first burst had broken the band around his right wrist, but the array still had a path through the floor. The next pulse rose under his knee, and he took the turning breath.
He directed the force outward. The method’s intended burst stayed strong. Its ordinary strain became another surge of qi that filled his foundation and strengthened his channels. Yan sent it through the crossing line.
The second restraint band broke. The force around his left wrist released, and his hand came free. One knee remained pinned, but he could turn his hips and brace against the floor with both hands.
“The pressure lost a branch,” Gu called. “The floor seal is still feeding the knee band.”
Yan shifted his weight. His legs felt steady. “Show me the seal.”
Gu pointed to the central mark beneath the intersecting lines. “That one.”
