Under the stimulation of the potent Growth Hormone. The cloned fetus in the cultivation tank grew relentlessly, hour by hour, gradually taking on the shape of an infant, no longer a mere mass of flesh.

Yang Ying took the time to approach the cultivation tank, watching his future self grow within the nutrient fluid, with Glimoren and Katerina by his side.

The timing was crucial; it could be neither too early nor too late. According to the calculations and predictions made by the Consul Council for this experiment, Yang Ying should begin communicating emotionally with the clone precisely when it reached the infant stage, in the hope of establishing a channel of resonance.

This specific moment was vital. Any earlier, and the brain development would be insufficient; any later, and the body might develop an independent consciousness. Premature or delayed contact would both negatively impact the establishment of mental resonance.

Yang Ying extended his hand toward the glass wall, sending a surge of psychic energy into the cultivation tank, making contact with the clone.

"Commander, please slow down when you touch this clone. A newborn human brain is extremely fragile," Glimoren reminded him.

"Understood." Yang Ying slightly moderated the movement of his psychic energy.

Katerina watched nervously from the side. Nearly twenty-four hours of care had instilled in her an indescribable emotion toward this clone infant. She did not know, nor dare she contemplate, how the baby would be disposed of if the mental resonance failed. To paraphrase Shakespeare: to live or to perish, that was the question.

Yang Ying carefully carried his will within his psychic energy, guiding it into the infant’s body, flowing slowly toward the infant’s brain like a gentle stream. Perhaps the matching frequencies of both entities played a role, allowing the psychic energy to enter the infant’s neural domain without obstruction.

The effect was immediate; Yang Ying instantly experienced an ineffable sensation.

"Something is peculiar." He felt his physical sensations differentiate: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—the five senses—were producing dual effects, one becoming two, and two becoming one?

"It's just a matter of getting used to it," Glimoren stated after sensing the link between Yang Ying and the clone. "There is nothing wrong with the connection between you two, otherwise, the infant would immediately reject your presence."

"I have to get used to this strange feeling?" Yang Ying could feel himself breathing fresh air, yet simultaneously perceive, vaguely, the cultivation fluid completely saturating his lungs—the latter clearly stemming from the clone’s underdeveloped sense of touch. At this moment, it felt as if he was both Yang Ying and the infant.

"That is entirely up to you. Right now, you are sharing the five senses with this clone. If you wish to stop sharing, you can withdraw that thread of consciousness at any time," Glimoren explained. "These two bodies are like two adjacent rooms. You can stay in this one, or move to the one next door, or even open the door, stepping one foot into one room and the other foot into the next, just as you are now. However, once I separate your consciousness, Commander, you and your avatar can each reside in your own room."

"An apt analogy." Yang Ying understood immediately.

"But please note," Glimoren continued, "without mental resonance, it's like having no door between the rooms; they are impenetrable, unless your power is so immense that you can smash through thick walls. Now, please try to control the juvenile body's brain and issue commands to it."

Yang Ying tried to make the infant move a finger, and sure enough, the delicate finger in the cultivation tank twitched according to his will. Though the movement was slight, all three present clearly saw it.

"Officer, is this a sign of success?" Katerina asked softly, looking at the data on the display screen while addressing Yang Ying. Since Yang Ying’s psychic energy entered the clone's neural domain, various data readings had shown subtle changes.

Yang Ying looked toward Glimoren.

"We don't know yet, but it’s a promising start," Glimoren replied.

Three more hours passed, and the infant had grown into a child of three or four years old.

Yang Ying maintained this posture, using his will to command the clone’s body to perform various actions within its neural domain, allowing the body to acclimatize to this mental force that felt both external and intrinsically his own.

As time wore on, a look of joy gradually appeared on Yang Ying’s face, and Katerina, seeing this, became happy too.

"Just as predicted, mental resonance is established and tending toward perfection!" Glimoren expressed his delight in the high-pitched tone characteristic of the Protoss. "Commander, you have succeeded!"

"Omnipotent Master, congratulations on creating yet another miracle! To organically integrate the characteristics of the three races—only you in the entire universe can achieve such a feat!"

Baal’s hymn also sounded in their ears. Due to the massive size of the Zerg Overlord, it could not enter the Barracks; thus, Baal hovered above it, its powerful senses, capable of detecting stealth, allowing it to perceive the situation inside the structure.

"Commander, you can try lowering your hand now. Let's see the effect of the mental resonance," Glimoren instructed.

Yang Ying nodded. Although the psychic pathway had been severed, Yang Ying felt no change; he still possessed two sets of senses, his five senses still paralleled those of the clone in the cultivation tank.

Glimoren explained: "Mental resonance operates irrespective of distance. You can enter or exit anytime, anywhere, at will."

Yang Ying stepped back two paces, and indeed, that connection had not weakened in the slightest. He then turned to Glimoren and made a decision: "Perform the procedure on me. Split off a small avatar of my soul."

"Please prepare yourself, Commander. This will be excruciatingly painful—a level of agony most Terrans never experience in their lifetime. The pain will directly target your consciousness, or rather, your soul," Glimoren warned, not for the first time.

"I am fully aware. I issue you a priority command now: unless my life is in immediate danger, do not stop the procedure. If I cannot bear the pain later and order you to stop, you must not stop."

Yang Ying was mentally prepared. With a mere thought, he drew back the consciousness within the clone body. As Glimoren said, it was as simple as walking from one room to another.

"As you command, my Commander," Glimoren replied.

He turned to Katerina. "Katerina, would you like to step out for five minutes? Staying might startle you."

Katerina, however, gripped Yang Ying’s hand: "I am a Medic. Caring for those in pain is my duty. How could I be frightened?"

Yang Ying smiled slightly at Glimoren. "Then let us begin."

"Yes!"

Glimoren’s eyes shone with brilliance, and a sword-like surge of mental force shot from his eyes into Yang Ying’s.

"Mmmph..." Yang Ying grunted, his grip instantly tightening, squeezing Katerina’s palm until it cracked. Katerina immediately clamped her lips shut, refusing to make a sound.

Yang Ying instantly reacted and loosened his grip.

But Katerina held fast to Yang Ying's hand, refusing to let go.

Simultaneously with Glimoren’s action, Yang Ying felt as if he had been cleaved in two from head to toe by a massive axe, then realized that sensation was slightly off. It wasn't an axe; a saw was more accurate, because an axe finishes the job in one swing, whereas a saw dragged and cut his soul back and forth ceaselessly.

Within seconds, Yang Ying’s face turned crimson, veins bulged, and his eyes were bloodshot. He ground out each word to Katerina: "Why... are... you...?"

He meant to ask why she was hurting herself, but the sheer agony made even these few words difficult to articulate.

"Officer, please do not speak. As for this..." Katerina gripped Yang Ying's hand with her other hand as well. "I just wanted to share some of the pain with you?"

Yang Ying forced a smile. Despite the agonizing pain tearing through his soul, his heart was unexpectedly calm and joyful. Then, he slowly sat down cross-legged.

Katerina knelt beside Yang Ying, watching his pained expression as if the pain were her own.

After a little over a minute, Yang Ying was drenched in sweat. Katerina was still clutching his hand, but Yang Ying had forced his fingers open; he had not clenched his fist since bruising her hand earlier.

"It is finally complete," Glimoren announced.

Yang Ying took two deep, heavy breaths, his breathing gradually leveling out.

Baal’s voice intervened promptly: "Resolute Master, you..."

"Enough! Let the Commander rest for a moment!" Katerina shouted toward the ceiling, unsure if Baal could hear her.

"As you command, beautiful Mistress," Baal replied quietly.

A few seconds later, Yang Ying opened his eyes. "The avatar... so this is what it feels like."

He stood up and lifted Katerina’s hand to his eyes. He saw that her palm was already turning purple, and its shape was somewhat distorted—evidently, the bone in her palm had been fractured in that squeeze!

At that moment, she had reapplied her grip to his hand despite the fracture!

"I’m sorry." Looking at her hand, Yang Ying was overcome with intense guilt.

"It’s fine. I brought this on myself; you can't blame Officer," Katerina pulled her hand away, using her other hand to shield the injury, speaking in a deliberately casual tone. "I'll have one of the sisters reset the bone shortly and administer a healing injection. This little injury will heal quickly."

"Treat it now." Yang Ying immediately summoned a Medic to treat Katerina’s hand.

The Medic straightened Katerina’s wrist bone, then administered a healing injection, and the purplish-red bruising quickly subsided.

After tending to Katerina's injured hand, Yang Ying dismissed the Medic.

At this point, the influence of the newly formed avatar was beginning to manifest itself.