Yang Ying and Katerina spent six hours reaching Grey Harbor, and upon entering Port Two Square, they saw Master Pang Qian and Robin’s group approaching from a distance.

Master Pang Qian, with short hair and clad in loose grey robes suitable for movement, approached them with a breezy air.

Yang Ying immediately stepped forward, waving his hand and saying, "Master, greetings, I hope you have been well."

"Young man, it has been a long time," Master Pang Qian said with a smile.

Yang Ying pulled Katerina forward to introduce her to the Master. "Master, this is my girlfriend, Katerina."

Katerina politely stepped forward and offered a greeting: "Master Pang Qian, hello."

"Good, good," Master Pang Qian smiled. When he saw Yang Ying approaching from the port with her, he had already guessed her identity.

"Master, I apologize for troubling you to wait for me here specifically. It is truly a sin," Yang Ying said humbly.

"I wasn't waiting; I just arrived myself," Master Pang Qian replied, waving his hand with a laugh.

Robin chimed in then, adding, "Sir, I was just guiding the Master around Grey Harbor, but the Master suddenly said you had arrived and brought us straight here."

Robin had originally intended to show Master Pang Qian around before meeting up with Yang Ying back at the office. However, to his surprise, Master Pang Qian led him directly to the port area.

Master Pang Qian smiled at Robin and said, "There’s nothing mysterious about it. I met Yang Ying once before and felt a connection. Moreover, the feeling an Awakened gives off is much stronger than that of an ordinary person. So when he arrived in Grey Harbor, I sensed it."

"Master, truly worthy of the title, Master," Yang Ying commented with emotion.

Suddenly, Master Pang Qian uttered an "Eh?" and looked closely at Yang Ying, exclaiming in surprise, "Young man, you have already finished cultivating everything in that Psychic book and broken through to the Lower Psionic Realm?"

"Yes," Yang Ying replied simply and calmly.

He did not rush to make any extra moves to disguise his lack of deep understanding of the psychic world.

This was because a Master-level presence was too perceptive; anyone who had not reached the Master Realm could not lie in front of them. Such deception would be immediately exposed.

The more you try to conceal, the more mistakes you make!

"It seems you have a great interest in psychic cultivation," Master Pang Qian nodded, his expression of surprise undiminished.

"I have the Master to thank for the guidance," Yang Ying said with a smile.

This statement came from the bottom of his heart. If Master Pang Qian hadn't introduced him to the path of psychics at Light of Titan, he likely wouldn't have reached this level now.

"How could you learn so quickly just based on what little I taught you? Every low-level Psionic Apprentice at the Psionic Temple receives equal or better education, yet I have never seen anyone achieve what you have in such a short time. Your potential is extraordinary!"

Admiration shone in Master Pang Qian's eyes, a look of pleasant surprise, as if a master sculptor were gazing upon a piece of uncut jade he had never seen before.

He had once been a teacher at the Psionic Temple's elementary school, later resigned his post, and habitually helped junior colleagues since then. After achieving the Master Realm, he had supported hundreds, even thousands, of juniors and had seen countless geniuses, yet he had never encountered anyone who accumulated psychic power as rapidly as Yang Ying.

Not only had he never seen it, he had never even heard of it. In all the countless ancient texts Master Pang Qian had read over several decades, he had never encountered anyone in history who cultivated so swiftly, advancing from Awakening to the Lower Psionic Realm in just half a year.

"Master, perhaps we should return to the Grey Harbor office to talk? There are people coming and going here; standing in the square isn't quite appropriate," Yang Ying suggested softly as he noticed Master Pang Qian falling into thought.

"No need to trouble yourselves to go to your office. I don't have much time; I need to leave Grey Harbor shortly. Why don't you accompany me for a walk down the main street?" Master Pang Qian laughed heartily.

"That sounds good then," Yang Ying extended a hand. "Master, please."

At this moment, people bustled around them, showcasing the activity of Grey Harbor. Not everyone had time to focus on the small group standing nearby, but some curious gazes were cast their way.

However, the dozen or so Phantom Agents Robin had brought subtly formed a human wall around them, deterring closer inspection. Some locals of Grey Harbor recognized Robin, the actual controller of the city, and showed expressions of immense honor, as if seeing an idol.

In the crowd further away, a man with an ordinary appearance and an electronic eye glanced seemingly unintentionally toward their group, his brow twitching, before quickly shifting his gaze away.

Though his expression remained unchanged, his heart hammered violently.

"The one in the middle of that crowd is Robin, the highest officer in Grey Harbor for the Trant Mercenary Group. It seems major intelligence has surfaced. Whoever is with him must be extraordinary. Let me use the review function on my electronic eye to take a closer look."

The ordinary man dared not turn his head fully toward Yang Ying, fearing detection by those Phantom Agents. The atmosphere in Grey Harbor these days was thick with suspicion of spies. Although he was just a minor operative among spies, he was well-informed and dared not expose himself at this juncture.

The electronic eye faithfully replayed the single glance he had caught.

"Ah!" he gasped internally. "The person in front of Robin is Yang Ying, the leader of the Trant Mercenary Group! Heaven is benevolent; colossal intelligence is about to emerge."

"Did Yang Ying come here to meet Robin? No, it seems Yang Ying isn't..."

"...He is half a step behind the teenager, clearly inferior. Who exactly is that middle-aged man?"

The spy pondered for a moment, then pretended to look casually one more time. Seeing that Yang Ying's group was already moving toward the edge of the square, he immediately turned and walked away, thinking to himself: Hurry back and sell this news for a good price, before other spies see it and I lose my chance.

As the group walked down the street, Master Pang Qian said to Yang Ying, "Young man, your talent for psychic cultivation is the greatest I have ever witnessed. I left you those two books back then; I presume you have finished them all?"

Yang Ying nodded.

"Now, are you willing to join the Psionic Temple?" Master Pang Qian looked at Yang Ying eagerly, hoping to hear the word "Yes" escape his lips.

Master Pang Qian had intended to recruit Yang Ying for the Psionic Temple back at Light of Titan, and now he was even more resolute. In his view, with Yang Ying's talent, he could at least become a Quasi-Master in the future.

"No, Master Pang Qian. The various rules and precepts of the Psionic Temple are too numerous; I fear I wouldn't adapt well."

Yang Ying refused, just as he had last time.

"If you don't join the Psionic Temple, your next stage of cultivation will likely be very difficult. The Fatigue Cultivation Method I taught you before has become quite limited in its use for Psionicists. Only 'Shallow Meditation' is the most suitable cultivation method for your current stage, but..." Master Pang Qian frowned, finally sighing, "I cannot teach you that."

"I know," Yang Ying nodded.

"You know Shallow Meditation?" A flicker of surprise crossed Master Pang Qian's eyes.

Yang Ying nodded again.

"Then do you know how to cultivate Shallow Meditation?" Master Pang Qian inquired.

"I do," Yang Ying replied directly.

Saying he didn't know would be impossible to hide from Master Pang Qian. Yang Ying had already thought about how to respond on the way here.

"This..." Master Pang Qian hesitated slightly, then asked, "Can you tell me who taught you?"

Yang Ying slowly shook his head: "I have my reasons regarding this matter and cannot tell you."

Master Pang Qian could sense the sincerity in those words and believed him. He said, "Very well. Although I don't know what difficulties you face, since you cannot speak of it, then do not. Since you already know the Shallow Meditation technique, the only thing left for you in psychic cultivation is practical application."

Master Pang Qian paused to think. "I cannot teach you anything new now, other than to remind you that you must still practice the Basic Swordsmanship. Even when you reach the Master Realm, you can still delve deeper into Basic Swordsmanship; every time you practice, there is a new harvest."

"Thank you for your guidance," Yang Ying said gratefully. Master Pang Qian, being a Master-level expert from the Psionic Temple, still respected his right to choose and, moreover, taught him diligently to the best of his ability.

Looking back, encountering Master Pang Qian at the very beginning of arriving in this world had been incredibly fortunate.

The group walked on the street for a while longer, and Yang Ying asked, "Master, may I ask if you had a specific reason for seeking me out this time?"

Master Pang Qian chuckled. "Nothing major. Not long ago, I heard about the battle that took place in Grey Harbor—you led your mercenary group and wiped out five large mercenary or pirate bands. I must admit, that achievement is quite astonishing. However..."

Master Pang Qian stopped walking and said solemnly, "Not a single person escaped that entire battle. I initially feared you might have become cold and ruthless, trapped in a cycle of slaughter, so I wanted to meet you and see if I could persuade you to change."

Yang Ying started, and everyone else stopped with Master Pang Qian, exchanging glances.

"But," Master Pang Qian smiled, "since I saw you, I knew you hadn't fallen into slaughter; your mind is still clear. Since that is the case, whether I persuade you or not makes little difference. My purpose in coming has been achieved."

Yang Ying turned his face and asked, "Master, are you displeased with my elimination of that large power?"

"No displeasure," Master Pang Qian shook his head. "Those forces, whether mercenaries or pirates, lived lives on the edge of a knife, their hands stained with lives. If they hadn't died, they would have killed others. If you had spared them then, it might not have been a kindness; if you hadn't spared them, it couldn't be called an evil act. Many things in this world cannot be judged strictly by right or wrong; what matters is the person."

"The human heart," Yang Ying repeated the phrase in his mind, then asked, "Can the Master grasp the human heart?"

Master Pang Qian shook his head. "The human heart is an extremely complex thing. Even at the Master Realm, capable of sensing some of others' thoughts, one cannot truly grasp the human heart. A Master can only grasp their own heart. However, as the saying goes, everyone has a scale in their heart, and everyone's thoughts differ. Wherever there are people in the world, there is an exchange of various ideas—sometimes unifying, sometimes conflicting. Even a Master cannot claim to be one hundred percent correct, or they risk falling into the heretical path."

Everyone listened, deep in thought. At this moment, they were standing below a hotel where the Mercenary Alliance Investigation Team was staying.

Call for Monthly Tickets and Recommendation Tickets!!!