I’m thinking that Ying Li injected some of the magic from the Great Protector into the Rings, allowing Shang-Chi to tap into it.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige sat down with CinemaBlend leading up to the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and opened up about how the ending of the film could change the trajectory for our hero.
Having been lucky enough to have seen Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings twice, I’m fairly confident that Shang-Chi’s eventual mother, Ying Li (Fala Chen), did something to affect the rings during her first battle with Wenwu outside of the gates of Ta Lo.