After a brief flicker of confusion, Wang Chen moved. His reaction was instantaneous, instinct overriding thought. Fingers blurred through a sequence of seals so fast that the air whined in protest.
A heartbeat later, the space beneath him lit up.
Layer after layer of formation circles erupted under his feet, overlapping like a blooming lotus forged from pure light. The rings expanded, folded, and interlocked until they formed a tightly woven cage of runic brilliance. Even the faintest ripple of energy was crushed flat and devoured.
Only then did the raging aura settle, suppressed before it could escape and shatter the fragile calm that had only just returned to the imperial city.
