,Great Xiren. Your humble servant has not praised you in ages!, As the brain and controller of the swarm, Baal and several other lords were summoned. They hovered fifty to sixty meters in the air, conversing occasionally through telepathy.

"Attack." Yang Ying pointed at David and issued the command to the Zerg lords.

David shot Yang Ying a deep glance, then turned and fled in another direction. Though severely wounded, he maintained a spectral speed—this was born of necessity, for the moment he paused, he would be locked onto by the combined fire of various light and heavy weaponry.

The Hydralisk spikes, when projected, were no less potent than Gauss rifle rounds; if they struck, the consequence would inevitably be the piercing of David’s body. The swarm of Zerglings, inherently cannon fodder, could still tear through alloy plating with their fangs and claws, and to dismiss them came at a heavy price. The Mutalisk, comparable in size to a Ghost fighter, could produce and launch smaller biological projectiles for attack.

The Scourge and the Queen (also called the Brood Mother, distinct from the Queen of Blades, the one flying above) possessed several genetically endowed abilities. They did not engage in direct combat, remaining behind to await opportunity.

The current situation was David running ahead, pursued by the Zerg forces, with a defensive line formed by the base units directly in front of him.

A Dark Archon launched a 'Mass Vortex' at David—a large-scale immobilization spell capable of freezing any life form composed of organic matter within a ten-meter diameter circular area.

This was merely a base value, a measure for a newly born Dark Archon restraining an ordinary human for a specific duration. As the Dark Archon grew stronger, this duration would extend. Conversely, the stronger the target, the shorter the immobilization time, potentially leading to outright resistance that rendered the spell useless.

At full strength, David possessed the resilience to resist the Mass Vortex. However, now heavily injured and with his psionic energy utterly depleted, his capabilities were drastically reduced. The launching Dark Archon had precisely calculated David’s trajectory; the Mass Vortex materialized directly ahead of him. Within the spell's radius, the ground appeared covered in a deep crimson carpet, emitting a somber glow, as if radiating dangerous energy outwards.

David’s sixth sense was tenfold more acute than Yang Ying's; he sensed the danger of the spell long before it manifested. He shifted his footwork, executing a sudden 180-degree turn that seemed to defy the laws of inertia, retreating backward and narrowly evading the Vortex’s reach.

However, another Dark Archon had anticipated David’s reaction. As he retreated, it simultaneously cast a Mass Vortex that perfectly intercepted him at his feet!

When David first arrived at the base, he had demonstrated a swift movement technique that instantly transported him from the hangar bay to Yang Ying’s command room. But now, facing certain death, he did not repeat the feat, clearly constrained by his considerable injuries. David was already struggling to evade when the spell struck; several deep crimson chains wrapped around him, binding him tightly.

David roared, using his psionic energy to shock the air, shattering the chains and regaining mobility. But in that single instant, two Feedback spells, the Queen's Entangling Net, and the Scourge’s Corrosive Blast struck him simultaneously.

David immediately turned a ghastly mix of red and green, and two serpentine flames erupted from within his body.

David remained silent, then simply collapsed straight onto the ground.

Yang Ying raised his hand, halting the troops’ continued assault. After waiting a few seconds without any movement from the prone David, he said to Baal, "Send a Zergling to test him."

"As you command, unconquerable Master." Baal ordered a Zergling to approach David. It struck the area between his chest and abdomen with a single claw, penetrating only about two centimeters—barely piercing the outer skin. Not a single drop of blood was drawn.

Seeing this, Yang Ying couldn't help but marvel, "What a remarkably sturdy body!" Although he had practiced the Psionic Body Sculpting technique, his own limited psionic strength prevented him from tapping into his body's full potential. At this moment, his physical durability was far inferior to David's.

The Zergling scratched David two more times. David remained unresponsive.

"Let's go. We'll approach cautiously," Yang Ying said, surrounded by the twenty-four Archons of Light and Darkness. They moved toward David, slowing their pace as they neared, maintaining a vigilant posture with every step forward. The degree of caution underscored the profound apprehension David's combat prowess inspired in Yang Ying.

Upon reaching close proximity, Yang Ying first meticulously examined David’s injuries. Seeing skin flayed by fierce flames and a face rendered unrecognizable, with vital signs having plummeted to an extremely low level, the man appeared to be in a state of near-death—it didn't look staged.

However, a High-Tier Psionic Adept could cultivate close to the limits of the human body and manipulating vital signs into a near-death state was not difficult. Caution was still paramount.

Fortunately, they had the Dark Archons, who specialized in mental disciplines.

Grimolun bent down and swept his hand across David’s face, affirming, "He is unconscious. I feel his consciousness has sunk into slumber." The Dark Archon's voice was heavy and deep, like a gale blowing up from the abyss, chilling one to the bone.

"Does unconsciousness affect mental control?" Yang Ying, who often sought counsel from the Archons while training his psionics and swordsmanship in the Lunar Sanctum, was accustomed to this voice and paid it no mind.

"It has some positive effects; his consciousness is dormant, offering far less resistance to mental control. However, humans do not possess the same inherent psychic talent as the Protoss. For one of this species to cultivate to this level speaks volumes about his willpower; even in slumber, unconscious resistance cannot be underestimated," Grimolun concluded after his assessment.

"Then let us begin now, right here, lest we invite complications," Yang Ying stated, stepping back a few paces to allow Grimolun space to work unimpeded.

Grimolun extended both hands, scattering a layer of dusky yellow light that enveloped David. But David's body surface seemed coated in an invisible film, blocking the faint yellow light from penetrating. Normally, a mental control spell could alter a target's mind in mere seconds. Yet, Yang Ying waited for half an hour by the side, and the light showed no sign of receding; it had failed to break through.

As the radiance gradually dimmed, Grimolun called out to the cohort of Dark Archons, "Quickly, someone take over!" Another Dark Archon stepped forward, scattering a ray of dusky yellow light to take Grimolun's position. Mental control was not like a tug-of-war; two Dark Archons using it together did not multiply the effect.

Grimolun withdrew his hands and approached Yang Ying, stating, "Leader, it appears this will be a war of attrition. I cannot suppress his will using my strength alone."

"Then we fight a war of attrition! This man is worth the effort! The two Votary cultists we controlled before held too low a status, constantly carrying out assassination missions on Earth. To the Votary Cult, they were merely tools to be discarded after use, unable to glean any core intelligence. This David, possessing a psionic strength of forty thousand, is clearly an accomplished master among humanity and must hold considerable standing within the Cult. Bringing him into our ranks is the only way to truly drive a spike into the heart of the Votary Cult."

Afterward, Yang Ying issued orders for two-thirds of the forces to disband, leaving the remaining third to guard the perimeter. He then summoned several Medics, instructing them to use minimal treatment to halt the deterioration of David's injuries. Although the plague itself wasn't fatal, David had sustained other life-threatening wounds; if these were left untreated, he might die before the mental subjugation concluded. That would nullify all their efforts and draw the ire of the Psionic Temple, as David was outwardly still a High-Tier Psionic Adept. The Medics' healing abilities were exceptional; after just a few injections, David's vital signs stabilized.

The entire grand plaza was utterly silent. Hundreds of soldiers encircled the periphery, while the inner ring was guarded by the Zerg forces and the twenty-four Archons. Even if David awoke now, with his grave injuries and depleted psionic reserves, escape from the inescapable net surrounding him would be impossible.

One by one, the Dark Archons successively executed their mental control, wrapping David in a cocoon of dusky yellow light. The invisible membrane showed a distinct trend of weakening but was incredibly resilient; advancing even a single millimeter required the full exertion of one Dark Archon.

However, after two hours, as the situation gradually clarified, everyone understood that success was merely a matter of time. Yang Ying had not moved during those two hours, standing silently before the unconscious David.

"Sir, what are you thinking about?" Kalia approached.

"I'm thinking that without the Protoss forces here, David, relying solely on his illusions, could rampage unchecked. And he is merely a High-Tier Psionic Adept; above him are two more ranks, Quasi-Master and Master. If a Master-level expert had come, I doubt anything we did could have stopped them," Yang Ying mused, before shaking his head. "Thinking about that now is useless. Kalia, what is it you need?"

"The brothers noticed you have been standing here for quite a while and asked me to invite you to rest. We can manage things here; with twenty-four Archons assisting, we are absolutely secure," Kalia requested respectfully.

"I appreciate the thought, but I will remain here. I won't feel at ease until I see David completely turned," Yang Ying stated firmly. He had already invested so much effort; standing a little longer was of no consequence.

Two more hours passed until the dusky yellow light finally penetrated David's body. The executing Dark Archon withdrew his hands and announced, "Success!"

"How is David?" Yang Ying asked immediately.

"He hasn't woken, but his vital signs are trending toward stability," a Medic replied after an examination.

"Good. Immediately focus all efforts on his recovery. Wake him first, and we need to ask if he has any other missions pending; he has already delayed us significantly." Yang Ying finally felt the weight lift from his chest.

After February 1st, the release will be two chapters of 3,400 characters daily. Today, I'm posting one chapter as a test. Readers with monthly tickets, please offer your support! Recommendation tickets are welcome too!