With Lan Xing and Mo Tong gone, the lights of New Star Valley dimmed for a brief moment.
The deaths of these two leaders, who had once led the Velvet Spirit Tribe to rise in their land of new hope, plunged the tribe into grief.
But the wheels of civilization would not stop turning for the passing of any individual.
The burden of leading the tribe fell upon the shoulders of the third generation, whom Lan Xing and Mo Tong had personally trained.
At the heart of the leadership was a pair of partners.
The one responsible for military affairs was named Lie Zhua. He was Lan Xing's most outstanding student, a radical among the Velvet Spirit Tribe's younger generation who had shown exceptional talent in both military affairs and construction.
The other was Hui Xin, who headed the department researching new technologies. She was Mo Tong's most accomplished pupil, a young scholar who had surpassed her teacher in energy theory and its applications.
One handled external affairs, the other internal affairs, continuing the previous generation's model of cooperation.
They both understood that, in a dark forest teeming with countless races, New Star Valley's prosperity and peace were like a campfire in the night, bound to draw the attention of unknown predators.
Danger had never been far away. Strengthening military power would always be the highest priority for the race's survival and development.
The historical lesson of Star Valley remained a constant warning to this generation.
With Lie Zhua pushing hard for it, the Sharp Sword project officially began, led by Hui Xin and bringing together weapon masters and energy scholars.
Their objective was clear: to create more efficient personal weapons and long-range strike systems.
Given the first-generation energy emitter's major flaws-poor stability and the need for two operators-Hui Xin's