Yang Ying stood on the rooftop, watching the dozens of small specks appearing in the sky gradually grow larger; those were the transport ships dispatched by the Fleet.

To reclaim this sky-city, the Seventh Fleet had deployed a landing force numbering ten thousand. Besides securing the city, they were also tasked with cleaning the battlefield, scrubbing the blood-soaked streets and alleys—an undertaking that would prove quite time-consuming.

Yang Ying performed a final check inside the building, ensuring every trace that might reveal the existence of CV had been erased. He then moved to the base of the structure to await the troops, ready to hand over the tower.

The landing zones for the transport ships had been determined before they even launched. Every vital location in the city was a designated target, with the Central Air Conditioning Building being of paramount importance; this place could not afford any further complications.

A long, slender transport ship, nearly a hundred meters from bow to stern, settled onto the plaza before the building. The hatch hissed open, and a squad of soldiers in military EVA suits rushed out. Leading them was a Captain, alongside a middle-aged man wearing a military uniform but bearing no rank insignia, whose waist, like Yang Ying's, was equipped with a laser pistol and a lightsaber.

The Captain was the first to approach Yang Ying, snapping a crisp salute. “I am Captain Wen Yang. On behalf of myself and all the soldiers here, thank you for the contributions you made to the city’s civilians. We will take it from here.”

“Then I entrust it to you,” Yang Ying replied, nodding to them.

Wen Yang waved his hand, and the soldiers quickly formed two columns and streamed into the building. As each soldier ran past Yang Ying, they instinctively rendered a salute.

Yang Ying felt the respect in their hearts, nodding lightly in return; this was something he had earned.

Once everyone was inside, Wen Yang and the unranked middle-aged man remained before Yang Ying. Yang Ying asked the pair, “Aren’t you following them up?”

Wen Yang gestured toward the other man. “Let me introduce you. This is Master Pang Qian, from the Psionic Monastery. We heard about your mental power awakening, and he has a few things to discuss with you. I’ll head up now.”

With that, he ran into the building.

Yang Ying started slightly. The Psionic Monastery was legendary for being elusive; one usually only heard the name, with the true masters rarely showing themselves.

He turned his attention to the Master.

The Psionic Master removed his face mask, revealing close-cropped black hair and a pair of eyes brimming with acceptance and tranquility. He leaned slightly forward and introduced himself with humble deference:

“Greetings, I am Pang Qian. My purpose here, aside from guarding this building, is to meet you.”

“Master, it is an honor,” Yang Ying responded. “I have long heard of the renown of the Psionic Monastery. May I ask what guidance you bring?”

“Guidance is too lofty a word,” Master Pang Qian replied. “The lives you saved today already surpass the count of my own lifetime. On behalf of the Monastery, I must express our gratitude for your righteous act. Furthermore, there are some general affairs of the Monastery, and certain common knowledge matters, that I wish to exchange with you.”

Master Pang Qian began by explaining the origins of the Psionic Monastery to Yang Ying—information that, while not exactly secret, was not easily accessible to the average person.

Since antiquity, records of superhuman phenomena existed among humanity, though they had long been dismissed as pseudoscience and scorned. It wasn't until the era three centuries prior, as the potential of mental power was gradually unearthed, that these records began to be taken seriously.

A small fraction of individuals experienced a mental power awakening. The most significant external manifestation was hyper-acute perception, the ability to manipulate objects with their minds, and to exert external force—in short, psychokinesis.

Initially, those who awakened their mental power (dubbed "Awakened") were met with fear and oppression from the populace, leading to a slew of discriminatory policies being imposed upon them. This phenomenon only ceased with the advent of the Psionic Monastery.

The Monastery was renowned for the formidable personal strength of its members. Although named a 'Monastery,' it bore little resemblance to Buddhism. It was established by several highly respected and vastly powerful Awakened individuals after mental powers began manifesting in humanity. It has always maintained a stance outside of government, avoiding political entanglement, dedicated instead to preserving the peaceful existence of the Awakened in the human world, and possessing ultimate jurisdiction over any incident involving the misuse of psychic power.

Fifty years ago, the war between humanity and the Ancient Legion erupted. Because the Ape-men also included formidable users of psionic power, the experts within the Psionic Monastery began to join the war against them. From then on, the Awakened gradually came to be known as 'Psions'—warriors who utilized mental abilities. Their hallmarks included the use of lightsabers and various psychic abilities to assault their enemies.

The Psionic Monastery has been passed down through generations, continuously enriching its knowledge of mental power for the training of Psions.

When a Psion attains a sufficiently deep understanding of mental power, and their own strength reaches a certain apex, they may be called a Psionic Master.

As a Psionic Master, the duty of guarding this building was hardly necessary for Pang Qian. However, Pang Qian was deeply intrigued by Yang Ying’s recent exploits. Having awakened his psi-power only recently and yet managing to single-handedly slay a mind-proficient Ape-man and an Ancient Colossus was a rarity even in the Monastery’s history.

He wished to invite Yang Ying to the Psionic Monastery for professional training.

Yang Ying smiled and said he would consider it.

The air conditioning had only recently been activated, and the city temperature still hovered around minus thirty degrees Celsius, yet Yang Ying noted that Master Pang Qian’s complexion remained unchanged after removing his mask, as if the external temperature had no effect on him.

Yang Ying couldn't help but ask, “Master, are you not feeling the cold?”

“Use your mind, young man,” Master Pang Qian said with a smile. “Once you understand mental power as I do, you will realize its infinite potential. Controlling temperature with your mind is not complex; if you wish to learn, you could master it in a few weeks.”

Yang Ying shook his head. “While that may be so, I am accustomed to freedom, and I fear I cannot endure constraint.”

“That is perfectly natural,” Master Pang Qian replied with great tolerance. “An eagle is born to fly in the sky; where you wish to go is your freedom. Just know that the doors of the Psionic Monastery are forever open to all Awakened. You may come whenever you wish.”

Yang Ying then inquired, “If one does not become a Psion, can they still study the knowledge of the Monastery?”

Master Pang Qian shook his head. “In our view, power and responsibility are inextricably linked. The knowledge of the Monastery can bestow immense power, so those who accept the power must fulfill the responsibility. However…”

His voice trailed off.

“However what?” Yang Ying quickly pressed.

The Master paced back and forth, thinking for a moment, then said to Yang Ying, “You have already saved the lives of three hundred thousand citizens; perhaps that warrants some leniency from the Council of Elders. But do not hold too much hope; even if allowed to undergo non-responsible training, you will not be able to complete the entire curriculum.”

“I ask the Master to intercede; whatever I can learn, I will accept.”

Upon first hearing of the Psionic Monastery, Yang Ying noted that the organization resembled the Protoss Templar Archives, which is why he desired to learn more about it.

Were the Psions’ lightsaber techniques and various psychic abilities not similar to the Storm abilities of the Templar and the blade mastery of the Dark Templar?

Could he, too, unleash a Mind Storm?