The final pressure wave crossed the capital before dawn. The furnace walls groaned once, then held. Yan stood inside the central ring with both hands on the inner surface. Qinghe read the gauges and kept Final Offering on its measured course.
Outer barriers flickered where nodes remained dark. Gu’s crew reported each station separately instead of calling the whole network safe. West remained disconnected for inspection. North held on its local circuit. East had been repaired and tested. The river line was stable, though the lower road remained wet.
A northern brace bent under the wind. Qinghe lowered the central feed by one mark. Two engineers secured the frame while Yan shifted the inner ring to match her signal. The anchor stayed steady through the adjustment.
The engineers moved in pairs, one holding the support while the other set the brace. A falling stone struck the outer platform. The worker nearest it had already moved behind a barrier and escaped injury. The crew waited for Qinghe’s next reading before returning to the platform.
Yan’s internal costs continued to reverse into strength and vitality. The stone had hit the platform, not his body; there was no cultivation benefit to claim. He listened to the station reports as they arrived by runner and flag.
