The third passage narrowed and bent beneath a row of metal bands. Its gate carried a complete sequence of the destructive art, longer than the first two but clearly written.
Yan studied the pattern. The current began at the outer channel, passed through a fork, and returned along the inner line. He understood the sequence and practiced it in one smooth circulation.
The feedback strengthened his channels and sharpened his control. He enjoyed the precision of the movement and asked Qinghe to record the change before they continued.
She noted his pulse and breath, then compared his readings with the earlier gates. “Your control is steadier. The previous reading was lower at the same point.”
Gu placed the sequence beside his archive notes. “The old inscription marks the cost as personal to the practitioner. The gate uses the same channel family.”
Qinghe did not claim the result applied to anyone else. She wrote that Yan’s normal practice had reversed the listed harm into refinement in his own channels.
A sudden external pressure bent one of the metal bands. It scraped against the gate and rang. Yan braced the opening while Qinghe and Gu moved past the damaged rib with the sensor kit.
