Yang Ying projected the words directly into the minds of his two targets using telepathy. The two men shuddered, glancing around wildly for the source of the voice, and then, as if they had seen a ghost, opened their mouths to scream.

Before either could utter a sound, Yang Ying drew his Gauss pistol from his hip and fired a shot that disabled the engine, plunging the entire hall into instant darkness. He followed this with two more rapid shots, executing both men with headshots.

"What was that? Light the emergency lamps, now!"

A moment of chaos erupted in the hall before a beam of light pierced the gloom. Two headless corpses lay sprawled amidst the crowd.

The mercenary ranks instantly exploded. Two core figures of the Caesar family had been dispatched right under their noses by two stray bullets. If word of this got out, even if the Caesar family didn't unleash their wrath, they would be ruined in the mercenary world.

"Who! Who was it?"

The mercenaries whipped their heads toward the direction of the gunfire, only to find an expanse of empty space, nothing there.

"Did he escape?" The mercenaries exchanged panicked glances, seeing their own terror reflected in their comrades' eyes.

The mercenary leader, dressed in his operational gear, bellowed, "Split into teams and pursue! If we don't find the culprit, we are all in deep trouble!"

A swarm of mercenaries instantly scattered, each diving down a separate corridor in pursuit.

The hall was suddenly deserted. Well, almost. Yang Ying had not left.

Glancing over the empty expanse, Yang Ying summoned five full squads of Ghost Agents and gave his orders: "Execute the plan. Clear the entire fortress. Eliminate everyone whose name is on the list."

"Yes!"

The Ghost Agents dispersed on command, activating their cloaking systems as they sprinted toward their designated sectors.

After they departed, Yang Ying summoned another squad of Ghost Agents. "You will secure the power generation system. If the fortress regains full power, it will undoubtedly complicate our operation. Therefore, the electrical system must remain under our control."

"Yes!" This squad also turned and vanished.

Yang Ying continued deeper into the complex. Whenever he spotted an individual marked on his list nearby, he eliminated them with a single, casual shot. At every major intersection or hub in the corridors, Yang Ying would deploy more Ghost Agents to augment the fortress sweep.

Gradually, he approached the very nerve center of the stronghold.

As he walked down a long corridor, Yang Ying suddenly perceived a gaunt figure draped in white linen robes materializing before him.

"Do not proceed any further!"

Tim addressed the empty air before him. While his eyes, possessing senses far beyond the ordinary, registered nothing visible, his sharp intuition warned him of a presence ahead—a profoundly dangerous entity.

Yang Ying studied Tim carefully, recognizing a level of psychokinetic mastery that surpassed his own. "Your Excellency has achieved Quasi-Master status, the peak of mortal capability. Why lend your service to the Caesar family?"

Though he knew the Caesar family patronized certain ancient sects, he had not expected them to employ a master of Quasi-Master rank.

Tim’s gaze remained fixed on the empty space, his small eyes narrowing until they were almost invisible slits. A cold sneer touched his lips as he spoke in a raspy voice, "I am Tim, of the Asde Sect. I do not know who you are, but do you dare reveal yourself?"

He evaded Yang Ying's question, every muscle in his body tensing, his back arching like a coiled leopard ready to strike. "If you do not show yourself, I will force you to do so!"

"I would hate to see your hard-won psionic power reduced to dust. I had hoped you might abandon this Caesar flagship, which appears sleek but has already struck an iceberg. However, if you remain obstinate…"

With that, Yang Ying moved with lightning speed, raising the green lightsaber in his hand and deflecting a perfectly straight blue lightsaber thrust aimed directly at him. The blue blade was one thrown by Tim.

"The sword techniques of the Psionic Temple? You are one of them?" Tim retracted the blue lightsaber, clearly showing profound apprehension toward the Temple's signature style.

"Sharp eyes. These are indeed Psionic Temple forms, but I am not a member. Hear my words: If you simply cease interfering with the Caesar family's affairs and depart, this conflict can be avoided."

Yang Ying mentally conceded, I'll give you one more chance. If you waste it, there is no third time; we must see who prevails.

Tim felt a surge of relief when Yang Ying admitted he wasn't from the Temple. Simultaneously, he relaxed his grip, allowing the blue lightsaber to hover in the air, controlled solely by his mental energy. "The Caesar family is the primary patron of our Asde Sect. To oppose them is to oppose our sustenance. How can I allow you to succeed?"

With that declaration, he ripped open his outer robe and tossed it aside, revealing tight combat attire underneath, secured by an ammunition belt studded with the hilts of nine lightsabers!

"See this? Without the immense wealth of the Caesar family, how could I possess ten lightsabers of my own?"

The nine sabers simultaneously detached from the belt with a series of sharp zzzt sounds, their blue blades igniting. They joined the first, arranging themselves in a perfect, rapidly spinning circle before Tim.

"The Ten-Sword Art, honed by my sect over a thousand years, which I have spent decades perfecting and integrating with lightsaber combat. Now, you shall experience it, invisible man!"

As the words left his mouth, Tim pushed forward with both hands. The ten lightsabers shot out, slicing arcs of pure light toward Yang Ying.

Yang Ying was genuinely startled to see Tim controlling ten sabers at once. He spun the lightsaber in his hand, successfully batting the ten incoming blades aside.

"Futile," Tim stated, his hands clasped behind his back, using pure telekinesis to command the blades to attack from all directions. The ten swords moved as one unified weapon, forcing Yang Ying into a desperate defense, leaving him no opportunity to counterattack.

"Your stealth capabilities are phenomenal, preventing me from discerning your true strength. However, under my Ten-Sword Art, unless you are a Master-level expert, you will not escape unscathed. Furthermore, that green lightsaber in your hand is far too conspicuous. Even your invisibility cannot mask its glow—that is your greatest vulnerability!" Tim analyzed, sounding as if he were already certain of victory.

Suddenly, the green sword-light vanished.

An expression of utter disbelief flashed across Tim’s face, which immediately twisted into a booming laugh. "Fool! Did you try to turn off the blade to maintain your stealth? If so, how can you possibly defend against this move? Sword Prison!"

With a flicker of thought, Tim commanded the ten lightsabers to completely surround the last known location of the green blade, then instantly drove them inward!

"What a shame. Such fine stealth abilities, yet you die here," Tim remarked with a feigned sigh of regret.

"Feigned pity. That's exactly what you are."

A violent zzzt sound followed as two of the ten lightsabers were forcibly thrown backward, creating an opening.

The remaining eight sabers struck empty air, rebounding off each other. Tim instantly reasserted control over them, realizing with dawning horror that his invisible opponent had slipped through the gap.

"Impossible! How did you block two of my blades without a saber in your hand?" Tim's small eyes widened in shock. He quickly recovered. "You have an invisible lightsaber!"

In Yang Ying's grasp now was a blade forged using the construction methods of a Dark Templar's Photon Edge—an invisible lightsaber.

"Originally, I kept the green blade out just to keep a low profile, in case any surveillance equipment here was still functional and could record my special saber. But after this skirmish, I'm sure this place is secure. However, to ensure you don't talk, I must send you on your way."

Yang Ying was currently in the Blade Lord state; his physical strength was immense, capable of rivaling a Master-level expert. While his raw psionic output was inferior to Tim's, he was by no means disadvantaged.

Executing a technique to rapidly close distance, Yang Ying materialized directly in front of Tim and swung his invisible blade toward the man's neck.

Tim felt the hairs on his neck stand erect, a surge of primal danger exploding in his mind. He shrieked and stumbled back two steps, simultaneously recalling two of his lightsabers to hold defensively in a crossed guard.

A sharp zziiing echoed as three blades collided. Tim felt the overwhelming brute force emanating from his opponent and shouted hoarsely, "Die!"

The other eight blue lightsabers simultaneously shifted their trajectory, slicing in to strike Yang Ying from behind.

At the same moment, Tim secretly launched a devastating low kick—the 'Crotch-Slicing Kick'—aimed at crippling his unseen foe. Though he couldn't see the invisible opponent, the physical resistance he felt on his own blade allowed him to roughly map the enemy's position. The kick was both fast and vicious; clearly, this was not the first time he had employed such a move.

"Welcome!"

Yang Ying’s combat instincts proved invaluable once more. He moved as if by nature, anticipating the move just before Tim fully committed. Yang Ying preemptively lifted his own foot and planted it squarely on Tim’s kicking leg, using the leverage to execute a somersaulting flip behind Tim, simultaneously diving downward mid-air to strike at Tim’s head.

Of course, Tim wasn't going to stand there and receive the blow. Having missed his kick, he instantly flashed past Yang Ying, allowing the eight lightsabers that Yang Ying had dodged to loop around his own body and continue their attack toward Yang Ying.

Yang Ying attempted to use his own psionic power to destabilize Tim's mental grip on the sabers but found the force Tim exerted on the hilts to be incredibly rigid, impossible to pry loose.

Tim sensed Yang Ying's attempt and mocked him, "A true master of the sword grips his weapon tightly. To think you could steal my blades with mere telekinesis—you are mistaken!"

This ten-sword assault was truly troublesome, Yang Ying grumbled internally, struggling to devise a counter. He certainly didn't believe Tim’s blades were truly immune to being seized, but given his own inferior psionic strength, achieving it would be difficult.

If I were a Master-level expert, Yang Ying reflected, I could probably snatch even one of his swords simply by using the focus he expends to control all ten.