Nie Yan's recent attack was merely a tentative probe using only the most basic skills. In fact, he could have used the invincibility period of Tempest Step to burst out damage and kill Residual Color. But if he made his move and killed Residual Color, he would have been unable to evade the surrounding group of Mages' attacks, and taking hits from so many mages would surely have been fatal.
So he temporarily backed off, planning his next move.
Given Nie Yan's cautious combat style, whenever he encountered a tough opponent, he always tried to feel out the enemy's capabilities before the battle, ideally deceiving them into using some of their trump card skills, to avoid a sudden reversal when going all out.
