Jian remained motionless, his head tilted slightly, his silver mask still impassive. His Visi Abadi Perang flared, its shimmering tapestry of energy lines and Qi flows immediately activated. But even with its enhanced perception, Han Zo was gone. The air currents were undisturbed. The subtle ambient Qi remained largely placid. He could sense no immediate ripple of physical presence, no distortion in the spatial fabric that would indicate an illusion or a speed technique.
A true shadow technique, Jian mused, his internal voice calm, analytical. He melts into the ambient energy, becoming one with the nothingness between perception. His physical eyes, even with their enhanced acuity, could not pierce this veil. His Qi senses, however, were another matter.
He closed his eyes for a fraction o
