The group took a dedicated elevator all the way up from Tianshu Underground City.
As they rose higher, the metal walls outside the elevator gradually gave way to transparent viewing panels.
Light streamed in through the thick insulating glass.
Outside, the World Tree stood over two thousand meters tall, its massive trunk like a pillar holding up the heavens, its canopy covering several kilometers.
Countless branches and leaves spread high overhead, soft green light slowly spilling down between the leaves.
Beneath the tree lay Great Xia's newly built surface district.
The surface district was not completely exposed to the doomsday environment.
The purification field cast by the World Tree, together with the Underground City's power supply system, maintained the stability of this area.
Security cordons and protective belts still surrounded the district, reminding everyone that the radiation outside had not truly disappeared.
But at least within the canopy's reach, people could finally stand in the sunlight again.
After the elevator reached the surface, everyone traveled by car to the Ceremony Plaza.
The plaza was near the outer edge of the area covered by the World Tree Canopy, and large crowds had already gathered around it.
Today was not just the fleet's founding ceremony.
It was also the day Great Xia publicly announced to the entire nation that the defense of the Kona Satellite base had ended in victory, and the new Demon God, Aker, had been confirmed killed.
Countless people had arrived at the plaza early, holding up their phones to film.
The vehicles had barely stopped before someone recognized Lin Mo through a window.
"Look, it's Lin Mo!"
"Chief Lin is here!"
The crowd instantly erupted.
Beyond the cordon, faces that looked tired yet extraordinarily excited turned toward them.
Some waved, some shouted Lin Mo's name, and some young