Qinghe tested a portable Soul-Lantern relay on the roof above the furnace stores. She set a copper ring around the prepared marker, and Yan attuned it with a measured pulse of qi. A dim projection of him appeared at the receiver post across the courtyard.
It carried only a short message. The figure could not anchor a barrier, lift equipment, or hold a gate. Qiao Wen timed the pulse and recorded how quickly the receiver faded when the copper band was covered.
“Try a longer phrase,” Qinghe said.
Yan sent the station’s name and a simple direction: “Report the gauge.” The projection reached the receiver, but the final word faded at the range edge. The station keeper heard only “report.”
Qiao uncovered the band. The image sharpened. The keeper repeated the full message and read back the gauge. Qinghe recorded the difference between clear and covered signal.
Gu sent a note through the prepared relay, correcting the receiver’s old angle. Qiao adjusted the ring and repeated the test. This time the message arrived cleanly at the western station. The station keeper repeated it in their own words, confirming the meaning rather than just the light.
The test used no central coils and no Final Offering. Qinghe wrote that on the limit card so no one would confuse a short message with a working backup system.
