They moved in flawless unison—a silent action without command, instinct shaped by shared peril. Leng Yue stepped forward first, her blade-arm rising as she pulled at one of the energy-laced threads anchored to the pedestal.
The strands, once taut with latent power, recoiled like wilted roots yanked from sacred soil. They curled inward and withered into shimmering dust. ~shhhfff~
At the same time, Li Wei manipulated the gears humming near the base. His fingers danced along their surface, nudging the mechanisms to quietude. With a final press against a glyph inset into the jade claw's interior curve, a light winked out.
For one breathless moment, stillness returned. Then the pedestal stirred. It was an event that had come as a surprise to both of them. Numerous qi waves burst forth, creating a scene that would blind a normal human
