The east, river, and south stations reported stable pressure. The north remained isolated. Gu confirmed that no sacrificial channel had reconnected. Qinghe kept Yan at the inner ring while the engineers transferred the remaining load into tested local circuits.
She checked each station’s own gauge instead of trusting the central display. A faulty reading here would put people outside the furnace at risk. The north crew had already reported the tower loss; its barrier remained separate from the line under test.
Yan maintained Final Offering throughout the transfer. Its intrinsic costs continued to become strength, soul coherence, and added lifespan. Both hands stayed against the ring. Qinghe lowered his anchor contribution to zero. Gu checked the isolated reserve bank as well. It supplied no current.
“Zero from you,” Qinghe said. “Zero from the reserve.”
Yan watched the feed gauge. Its needle rested on the mark. The independent barriers were carrying their own loads. Neither he nor the stored coils supplied a hidden share.
Qinghe began the three-cycle test. Yan kept his hands poised at the ring while she watched his feed gauge and Gu watched the isolated reserve. The first cycle completed with both at zero. The east station’s report arrived at the agreed interval, and its independent line held.
