The first lock opened after Yan’s circulation, but the next gate remained closed. Its markings used the same pattern with a higher channel count. Qinghe held the lamp while Gu read the inscription aloud.
“The gate asks for the current to match its rhythm,” Gu said. “Not only for the sequence to repeat.”
Yan studied the complete pattern. The inscription showed where the breath should turn and how the current should follow. He did not need to guess at an incomplete method.
“I understand it,” he said. “I’ll practice the whole sequence.”
Qinghe checked the upper support line. “The brace is holding. I’ll watch your breath and the gate.”
Yan circulated the destructive art through his channels. Its normal harmful pathway turned within his own cultivation flow and strengthened the same structure before damage. He followed the rhythm easily. A low metal note traveled through the gate, and its outer lock slid back.
The second sequence felt steadier than the first. He noticed the improvement in his control and smiled. The art’s personal cost had become refinement; the gate had simply responded to a correct technique.
Another pressure pulse shook the shaft. The temporary brace slipped a finger’s width. Qinghe and Gu tightened the formation around the rib while Yan kept one hand against the gate. Dust fell from the ceiling. The external pressure continued to crush the old stone around them, separate from the benefit in Yan’s channels.
