After finishing the discussion, David headed for the training ground to stretch his body and begin the session, which was designed to restore his physical condition.

From its inception, the base had been fully equipped with every kind of training facility imaginable: a martial arts ground, a firing range, a hypergravity room, and a virtual reality training center were all available within the complex.

Yang Ying, having nothing better to do, accompanied David. David’s remaining time at the base was short, and Yang Ying was determined to squeeze every ounce of his value out before he left.

Upon arriving at the training ground, Yang Ying produced two low-power lightsabers, handing one to David while keeping the other for himself. The power output of these sabers had been deliberately reduced to a level incapable of inflicting harm; when the light blade touched someone, it only felt warm.

David took the offered sword and, upon activating it, immediately expressed surprise. “A training lightsaber! Leader, where did you get these? Wait, you still have the silver blade. Could it be that you have mastered the art of lightsaber forging?”

For security reasons, Yang Ying chose not to tell David about Palm Star Interstellar; the fewer people who knew such things, the better!

Even some of the combat details residing in David’s mind had been erased during the process of mental conditioning.

“I do indeed possess lightsaber manufacturing technology,” Yang Ying admitted with a nod. “Furthermore, since the topic has come up, take this opportunity to tell me what is so special about the silver lightsaber.”

“The silver lightsaber is one of the three special types. The Temple of the Mind only discovered this after acquiring the technology to forge them, and their appearance is likely random, achievable only through luck. Basically, for every one hundred lightsabers forged, you might get one purple blade; for a thousand, one silver blade; and for ten thousand, one gold blade,” David explained everything he knew in a flowing narrative.

“Then what is the difference between special lightsabers and regular ones?” Yang Ying continued his inquiry.

“The main difference lies in the degree of energy focusing. Although regular lightsabers come in various colors, the efficiency of their focusing crystals is essentially the same, with no real variation. However, the focusing crystals in the purple, silver, and gold sabers are vastly superior to those in ordinary ones. The higher the degree of focusing, the greater the saber’s power. If a special lightsaber collides with a regular one, while the standard saber can block the special one, the regular saber will overload, damaging the energy cell within the hilt.”

“So, among the three special sabers, gold is the strongest, silver is next, and purple is the weakest?” Yang Ying asked.

“Exactly. If a gold lightsaber clashes with a regular one, it will destroy the ordinary saber within ten strikes; a silver one takes thirty strikes; and purple requires a hundred. Therefore, anyone wielding a standard lightsaber facing someone with a special one must retreat unless their swordsmanship far surpasses their opponent’s. That’s why, when I dueled you, seeing you wield a silver blade—even though your skill was far inferior to mine—you had several helpers around you. Since there were more of you than me, I couldn’t be certain of defeating you within thirty exchanges. I had no choice but to withdraw from the fight.” David used his own experience as an example to fully articulate the details regarding the silver lightsaber.

After finishing their discussion, the two began to spar. In reality, it was Yang Ying attacking while David acted as the sparring partner. The gulf in their swordsmanship was too vast; if they fought seriously, David could force Yang Ying to drop his weapon within twenty moves.

The reason it took twenty moves was that Yang Ying was using the Temple of the Mind’s foundational sword style, which gathered the essence of sword techniques from across the world, leaving virtually no openings. This made it impossible for David to breach the defense of the blade in Yang Ying’s hands within just one or two moves.

David’s swordsmanship was also derived from this foundational style; though his maneuvers varied wildly, the shadow of the core technique was always present.

Over the past few days, through David’s provision of sparring opportunities, Yang Ying’s sword style had improved rapidly. After all, the two styles shared a common lineage, and David’s technique was ultimately more suitable for Yang Ying than the dual-blade style of the Zealots.

“Watch out!” David warned, before executing a subtle shift in footing that made him appear to teleport behind Yang Ying. Yang Ying reacted instantly, taking a step forward and sweeping his lightsaber backward to block David’s incoming blade. He then spun around to continue the engagement.

David took another sideways step, instantly reappearing at Yang Ying’s left flank and thrusting his sword.

Yang Ying smoothly moved his blade to the left, placing it between himself and David, but David swept both feet in an arc, flashing past Yang Ying’s front and reappearing instantly on his right side.

Just as Yang Ying swung his saber to guard the front, David pierced his right shoulder with a strike. Yang Ying immediately felt a searing heat and knew he had lost.

“Truly impressive. What is that footwork called? Is that how you instantly got from the hangar to my command center back then?” Yang Ying didn't mind losing the bout. Although David’s physical condition hadn't fully recovered, his insight was still that of a Mind Adept; it would have been strange to win.

“That footwork has many names,” David explained with a smile. “From ancient times to now, different schools have different names. Daoists call it ‘Shrinking the Ground to an Inch,’ Buddhists refer to it as Siddhashakti, and Western magic terms it teleportation or blinking. But they all mean the same thing; the underlying principle is identical.”

“Do many Mind Adepts practice this technique?” Yang Ying moved his shoulder, the burning sensation gradually fading.

“Of course, many do. Almost every Mind Adept must learn it; it’s one of the most practical maneuvers in advanced applications of mental power,” David said. He swung his lightsaber a couple of times. “Shall we continue?”

“Definitely. Make sure to copy the cultivation method for this movement technique and give it to me when you have time.”

After speaking, Yang Ying leaped into the air, spinning his body as he charged toward David with his sword raised.

David, however, swept his blade toward an empty space, and instantly, the training ground erupted in localized squalls. Unpredictable, chaotic winds enveloped a ten-meter radius around David, with turbulence coming from all directions. As Yang Ying approached, the gale forced him back, causing his posture to wobble.

Yang Ying was forced to use second-jump, third-jump, and even sixth, seventh, and eighth jumps just to regain aerial balance.

“Leader’s aerial sword technique is well-practiced, but unfortunately, my wind control is the nemesis of any airborne style. With the gale blowing, no one in the air can maintain balance—unless they are a Mind Adept with superior wind control, or a Master-level expert?” David declared confidently, holding his blade steady.

“Surely not every Mind Adept in the Temple of the Mind learns wind control,” Yang Ying commented after landing, not rushing to attack, preferring to clarify first.

“Certainly not. The most common disciplines are Fire, Ice, Lightning, and Light—these are the major categories. There are also minor categories like Wind, plus Illusions, and so on, which together form the mental power system of the Temple of the Mind. Most Mind Adepts choose one primary direction, and those with extra capacity might choose two,” David explained meticulously.

“Illusion...” Yang Ying immediately recalled, “Like the one you used before? The one that only fools ordinary people?”

“Illusion techniques are certainly not limited to that. My level of illusion mastery is very average, and I only know one move. Although this particular technique can only deal with common folk, it has its advantages, such as low energy consumption and wide area of effect—a life-saving skill on the battlefield. For example, if this base had no Awakened individuals, I could move about freely, and ordinary soldiers might not even see me. If it weren't so difficult to learn, its status would definitely not be lower than the ‘Shrinking Ground’ technique!”

David held his lightsaber vertically before his chest, tip pointing upward. He asked, “Leader, shall we continue?”