The red flag remained raised above the Long Reed hall. Inside, Deyan stood between two gauges and read each number as it changed. Both climbed at the same pace. She checked the outer scale, then the brass needle. The pressure was not a faulty instrument.
One engineer thought the surge would pass. “The west segment may still be settling after the repair. If we wait another minute, it could return to the earlier range.”
Another pointed at the pylon casing. “The copper is beginning to glow.”
Qinghe looked at them. “Give me the readings, not the argument.”
The second engineer called out the number. Deyan confirmed it on her gauge. The current was rising beyond the marked load.
Yan held the feed steady with his practiced cultivation. Ashen Marrow strengthened him from the strain within the method, and the Dao Domain allowed him to keep the channel from surging further. He could try to carry more pressure, but that would turn the village’s test into a demonstration of his endurance. The equipment still had a limit.
He looked at Eri. “The cord is yours. The council doesn’t need my permission or the Registry’s.”
Eri nodded, but kept her gaze on Deyan. “If I pull it, does it isolate this barrier and leave the neighboring nodes lit?”
