Chapter 82: Awakening the Sea of Consciousness (Part Two)

Chapter 82: The Unveiling of the Sea of Consciousness, Part Two

The silence in the training chamber seemed to herald the true coming of the storm. After a brief lull, all the monitoring instruments suddenly erupted, their data readings soaring off the charts, needles spinning madly. A crimson wave of psychic energy radiated directly out from the chamber. This time, the energy shield held for only ten seconds before it shattered, and the raging scarlet energy swept through everything. The training room was left looking as though it had suffered a violent explosion, though fortunately, the protection had blunted the worst of the destruction.

When the aftershock reached the surveillance room, every pane of glass, even the bulletproof ones, shattered instantly, and the force continued to surge toward the assembled crowd.

Everyone within the protective barrier stared in stunned disbelief. They had never imagined that a Psychic’s advancement could unleash such devastating power—it was akin to a small-scale nuclear detonation.

At that moment, the barrier set by the mysterious woman—herself a Psychic—proved invaluable. The wild scarlet energies, upon striking the multicolored shield, were instantly dissolved, like snow melting into boiling water.

This was the first time for both Shentu Yue and Shentu Wanhua to experience the powers of a superhuman so closely. In that instant, they felt as insignificant as ants before the might of these abilities. No amount of wealth or status could alter this humbling realization.

Felina, meanwhile, was astonished by Xia Zheng’s progress. During the initial assessment, she had been confident in his potential, but she had never imagined that in less than a year, he would reach such a level—fully qualified now to journey to the City of Eternal Night.

Song Xinghui, too, nodded in satisfaction. Back then, to ensure Xia Zheng’s smooth growth, he had unilaterally sent Dias to the City of Eternal Night, a move that sparked discontent among some military officials. Fortunately, Xia Zheng’s extraordinary and rapid development ultimately forced the dissenters to concede, and even the Grand Marshal tacitly approved his decision.

Just then, the voice of the mysterious woman, still unrevealed, echoed: “This surge is the impact of a Psychic’s advancement—a one-time eruption of inner potential. It doesn’t fully represent his normal combat strength, so don’t overestimate the boy.”

Though her words seemed to downplay Xia Zheng, Song Xinghui and the others understood her intent: she hoped they would not place too much expectation and pressure on him, as he still needed time to grow.

“President He, rest assured. The military will exercise proper judgment,” Song Xinghui replied.

The woman nodded. “Good. My only concern is that the military, upon encountering such prodigies, would push them to their limits, burning out their potential and ultimately stunting their growth and achievements.”

“The military’s hands are sometimes tied,” Song Xinghui admitted, rarely showing such humility, but it was clear this woman was not of the military.

About a minute later, the impact of the crimson energy finally faded. The woman dispelled the barrier and announced, “You may see the boy now.”

Soon, Xia Zheng emerged, looking both bewildered and a touch embarrassed—entirely unclothed. It seemed that, during his advancement, all his garments had been reduced to ashes.

The sight of this bashful young man made Felina burst into laughter, recalling his very first physical examination: he had stood there, nervous and uneasy, wearing only a pair of shorts, terrified by the crowd’s scrutiny.

Many of the women present giggled, some even daring to glance at the sensitive spot Xia Zheng was trying to cover with his hands, while the men roared with laughter.

Hearing their laughter, Xia Zheng grew even more flustered and called out loudly, “Could someone bring me some clothes?” He regretted bitterly that, though his storage pouch was unharmed, he hadn’t prepared any spare clothing inside. If only he had thought to buy some!

Song Xinghui and Shentu Yue, who had only been smiling before, now burst into laughter. Still, everyone knew the young man before them was no ordinary talent now, so they didn’t go too far. Soon, someone handed him a set of the Foundation’s staff uniform—though there was no new underwear available, and Xia Zheng would not wear second-hand.

After changing, Xia Zheng cleared his throat and cast off the embarrassment, though the thought of having destroyed a Level-5 training room made his head ache. If the Foundation demanded compensation, he could never pay such a sum, and even if he could scrape it together, it would be a heavy loss.

Fortunately, Shentu Yue and Shentu Wanhua weren’t so petty and avoided mentioning the chamber’s destruction, allowing Xia Zheng to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Not bad, boy—you finally meet my standards,” Song Xinghui said, coming forward to squeeze Xia Zheng’s shoulders and arms. Felina, feigning seriousness, pinched him as well, Amilia joined in for fun, and even Shentu Wanhua couldn’t resist. Then, a hooded figure—a woman, as it turned out—took his wrist, as if checking his pulse.

Curious, Xia Zheng looked at the hooded woman and asked, “May I ask who you are?”

At this, the woman slowly removed her hood, revealing a cascade of silver hair, fair skin, and a jade band tied around her forehead, set with a blue gemstone in the center.

Though her hair suggested some age, her face showed little sign of it, and now that he stood close, Xia Zheng noticed her attractive figure beneath the robe—a mature elegance, though her voice was that of an older woman.

“Hello, Xia Zheng. This is our first meeting, but we’ll be seeing each other often. I am He Shunhua, president of the Psychic Association,” she introduced herself.

Xia Zheng had little idea what this meant, but Song Xinghui explained, “The Psychic Association operates independently of the Professional Guild, accepting only Psychics as members. In more than ten years, it has just over two hundred members, all renowned figures within the Federation. For instance, the Western Cardinal Reynolds and our own Major General Ying Ying are both vice presidents of the Association.”

With this, Xia Zheng finally understood and looked at the mature woman before him with surprise. As she held his wrist, he felt a gentle psychic force healing the injuries his sea of consciousness had suffered from the recent shock.

Sensing his curiosity, He Shunhua explained, “My psychic power is naturally unsuited for offense; it is defensive and restorative.”

“Thank you, President He,” Xia Zheng replied quickly.

She smiled and nodded. “Let’s walk and talk. I’m sure you have questions, and I’ll answer as best I can.”

Noticing He Shunhua wished to speak with Xia Zheng privately, the others tactfully left him alone. With the site in need of attention, the Foundation’s staff soon busied themselves anew.

They walked to the staff dormitory area, which was quiet and spacious. Though the building was underground, a glass garden had been constructed outside, complete with water and colorful fish darting among the plants and flowers—a scene reminiscent of a massive cylindrical aquarium.

“Xia Zheng, you’ve opened your sea of consciousness, haven’t you?” He Shunhua halted and asked.

Xia Zheng nodded. “That’s right, senior. I’ve been refining my spiritual sense, and finally used the Sword of Consciousness to break through the barrier, transforming what I saw within into a star-filled sea.”

“Good—that is the sea of consciousness. Do you know, in our entire Association, only nineteen members have opened their sea of consciousness, myself included? If you join us, you’ll be the twentieth. So, Xia Zheng, are you interested in joining the Psychic Association?” She turned to him with an inviting look.

Xia Zheng did not answer immediately. Instead, he asked cautiously, “President He, it’s not that I’m opposed, but I really don’t know much about your Association. What kind of organization is it? What responsibilities or restrictions would I have as a member?”

She chuckled, giving him a playful glance that was more charming than reproachful. “Cautious, aren’t you? Very well, I’ll explain.”

She continued, “The Psychic Association is a closed professional group, accepting only Psychics—and not just any Psychic. Members don’t gather regularly; everyone goes their own way, but we meet once in midyear and once at year’s end to report on developments, assign tasks, and trade various items—equipment, collectibles, intelligence, anything you might need. If an emergency threatens the Association, all members are summoned. The Association has one president, three vice presidents, ten executive officers, and other members ranked as core, important, or regular.”

She paused and went on, “Xia Zheng, if you practice alone, it’s like working behind closed doors—you’re bound to take many wrong turns. Some people, by chance, inherit ancient legacies and put blind faith in those methods, but the truth is, relying on them entirely isn’t safe. The ancient era is too far removed from our own; many traditions have been lost, and their circumstances were vastly different from ours. Only by sharing and testing our experiences can we progress together. As for duties and restrictions, there aren’t many. Mainly, members must uphold the interests of the Association and of Psychics as a whole. Compared to the entire superhuman community, our numbers are still too few. What do you think?”

Having heard the explanation, Xia Zheng understood the Association’s operations and activities. He agreed with He Shunhua—sharing knowledge would help him avoid unnecessary detours, for his path differed greatly from that of traditional superhumans.

“President He, I’m willing to join,” Xia Zheng declared.

“Welcome, Xia Zheng. Your potential remains vast, and I’m sure you’ll benefit greatly from the Association,” He Shunhua replied, clearly pleased and a bit excited.

At this point, there were still two days until the third round of the qualifiers. The Foundation was rebuilding the training room, and with He Shunhua’s help, Xia Zheng was able to borrow a temporary cultivation space designed specifically for Psychics, which delighted him greatly.