Xu Wuyi did not pursue the topic. He stood on the platform a while longer, sensing the warm golden points of light scattered across the defense line. They operated steadily at their respective posts, while the newly joined Rootlines slowly adapted to the rhythm of the defense line under the guidance of the Root-Tendril Guardians. The entire line resembled a recovering grassland, with new shoots sprouting again from the trampled patches.
He turned and walked down from the platform, passing through the outpost's inner corridor before running into Zhang Beihai at a corner. Zhang Beihai's right arm was still wrapped in pale gray medical bandages, with faint golden light leaking from their edges—a sign that the Core Self-Healing Mechanism was still at work. As he stepped aside to make way, he raised his left hand in greeting, then continued down the corridor toward the defense line.
Xu Wuyi walked farther down the corridor, then tore open a rift and stepped into the Interlayer.
After the Star Beast Coalition retreated, daily operations in the Forging District returned to their previous rhythm.
Every evening was still gathering time. Zhou Mingyuan stood before the gray-white wall, sharing his perceptions and insights as usual. There were far more attendees than before the war, because newly forged Rootlines began joining the Evening Session after completing their basic training. The Assembly Hall was packed, and several rows of people sat in the open space outside the doors as well.
During the second postwar Evening Session, Zhou Mingyuan announced a discovery. He brought up a set of charts on the Data Pad and projected them onto the translucent screen above the wall. "After the war, we conducted an assessment of formation combat effectiveness. The results showed that Rootlines who consistently attended the Evening Session had, on average,