While Han Xiao was enjoying the lemon, Fording was in the Remnant Soul Terminus, had already begun his operation.
Fording activated the Soul-Switching Device, creating an invisible attraction that caused the soul remnants in the surrounding area to suddenly slow down as they flew towards the nebula vortex, eventually changing direction and heading towards his starship.
The nebula vortex has a natural gravitational pull on the remnants of souls, Fording's actions at this moment are tantamount to "snatching food from a tiger's mouth." However, this Secondary Dimension does not seem to have given birth to dimensional consciousness, so no one bothers with him.
Strands of soul fragments were captured by the black crystal-like mirror of the Soul-Switching Device. The remaining thoughts were stripped away, and pure, clean soul energy was extracted, crystal clear.
Fording extracted the results of the Soul-Switching Device through the Soul Link, wrapped it with his psychic power, and incorporated it into his brain to decompose and digest it. He felt refreshed and invigorated, without any of the side effects such as memory and emotional impact that he usually experienced when using his psychic power to probe other people's thoughts. He could clearly feel that his mental power was being refined, and the cells in his body were cheering.
He could clearly feel himself gradually transforming, like an extremely thirsty person drinking continuously from a clear, sweet spring, feeling a sense of fulfillment from head to toe, which was even more comfortable than spiritual communion, making him involuntarily indulge in it.
As Fording's mind and body became intimately connected with the Soul-Switching Device, the psychic energy emanating from him became tinged with a deeper black, receiving a new level of enhancement from the Soul-Switching Device. Its properties were strengthened, becoming more refined, which brought him a thrilling and exhilarating sensation that made his soul tremble.
"Call..."
Fording couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, as if he had entered a state of unconscious meditation, with all the cells in his body gradually leaping towards the Beyond Grade A life level.
Centered on him, a gray vortex, countless times smaller, formed, reflecting the enormous nebula vortex. The two vortices, one large and one small, slowly rotated at the same speed but in opposite directions.
Having confirmed that Fording was not in danger, Han Xiao did not disturb him and turned back to continue his unfinished research.
Soon, a month had passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, Han Xiao arrived at the training base square early.
Not long ago, Fording finally finished his month-long seclusion and naturally broke through to the Beyond Grade A- level. Only then did he remember to send a message saying he was coming back, so Han Xiao waited here.
His figure standing there was spotted by a Calamity Grade student who happened to be passing by. The student stopped and cast a strange and curious glance at him, wondering who Black Star was waiting for.
Not long after, a flash of light appeared, and the shuttle vehicle appeared out of thin air, jumping back from the Secondary Dimension World to the main universe and landing at the designated coordinates of the plaza.
The hatch opened with a whoosh, Fording stepped out. Upon seeing Han Xiao, he smiled happily and strode over to greet him.
Compared to a month ago, his aura had undergone a tremendous change. Just by walking, he made the small group of curious onlookers at the Calamity Grade students suddenly feel a tightness in their hearts, giving rise to an instinctive sense of oppression, which was the pressure from a high-level life form.
At that moment, the Calamity Grade present immediately understood something, were greatly surprised, and, disregarding Han Xiao's presence nearby, swarmed around him.
"Fording, you've become Beyond Grade A?!"
"I hadn't seen you at the base for a while, and I was wondering where you'd gone. I didn't expect you to have advanced so quietly. Impressive!"
"Quick, quick, share your experience! What's it like?"
Fording was surrounded by a large crowd, so he had to stop and look at Han Xiao across the crowd, giving him a helpless smile.
He has extremely high charisma and his personality is unlikely to offend anyone, so he is quite popular. Even after becoming Beyond Grade A, he does not have a superior mentality and does not push people away.
The Calamity Grade present called to their friends, and figures wrapped in flowing light leaped across the base, rapidly approaching from afar. At the same time, several more teleportation portals appeared nearby, and a large number of Calamity Grade who had received the news arrived in droves, crowding around. The crowd grew larger and larger, and the scene became as noisy as a vegetable market.
Han Xiao, standing outside the crowd, coughed to quiet everyone down and said with a smile:
"Fording has indeed advanced to Beyond Grade A. He was the first student to successfully break through during the training camp, and it's only been two or three months since the start of the camp. This is a very good start."
Having received confirmation, everyone couldn't help but show an envious expression and offered their congratulations to Fording.
A chorus of congratulations erupted in the room, some genuine, others tinged with envy.
Fording sighed and began to explain, his voice gentle:
"Everyone, I was able to advance smoothly due to some opportunities. My experience is probably not applicable to you and has little reference value."
Of course! For a normal person to advance to Beyond Grade A, it's like constipation for everyone. That guy Silver Shadow even spent nearly a hundred years in seclusion during his transformation. Only a cheat like you can do it as easily as eating and drinking...
Han Xiao muttered to himself.
At this moment, Fording noticed the regretful expressions on everyone's faces, thought for a moment, and then smiled:
"However, I can let you experience my enhanced power, and I'll also share with you the sensory sensations I felt during my ascension..."
As he spoke, he closed his eyes slightly and opened his mouth softly. A melodious psychic song immediately swept out, covering everyone present.
The many Calamity Grade students were invigorated, instantly gaining Fording's advanced insights. At the same time, they also discovered that the beautiful psychic song that resonated directly in their souls stirred their emotions, unconsciously immersing them in it.
The next moment, a surge of positive energy welled up from the bottom of their hearts, and everyone was instantly filled with a desire to train. They couldn't wait to go into seclusion and train hard. They were as if they had been given a stimulant, and they became very energetic.
Han Xiao deliberately released his mental barrier to test Fording's advanced telekinesis. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the combat information on the panel.
Fording specializes in the mind-based telekinetic path. This fortuitous encounter has led to a significant transformation in his abilities. His telekinetic singing has incorporated the special properties of the Soul-Switching Device, greatly increasing his mental penetration. Now, he can more efficiently influence the emotions and desires of living beings, achieving a powerful hypnotic effect... And whenever different emotions are evoked, the target will enter the corresponding state.
The fact that everyone was full of energy at this moment was a testament to this. Fording used his telekinetic singing to inspire everyone's positive emotions and gave them a boost. The status bar showed that it increased the efficiency of experience gain. For others, this would mean that it could improve their training efficiency!
Han Xiao instantly realized the role Fording could play. Although Fording's current rank was not high and he was not good at direct combat, he could bring a wide range of buffs or debuffs to teammates or enemies, which was more useful than his own combat power.
"A powerful support is far more valuable than an ordinary Beyond Grade A. This ability alone is enough to make him highly sought after and ensure he won't be at the bottom... Most importantly, he can improve others' training efficiency without any side effects. With his help, perhaps even more Beyond Grade A will emerge..."
Various thoughts flashed through Han Xiao's mind, and he felt delighted.
Suddenly, his gaze faltered as he noticed a striking figure amidst the radiant crowd, still sporting a sour expression, a stark contrast to those around him.
This figure was like a firefly in the night, so bright and outstanding; who else could it be but that damned Lagi?
Han Xiao became curious and pouted, "Hey Fording, your trick doesn't seem to be working on him."
Upon hearing this, Fording turned to look at Lagi, and was immediately taken aback, asking in confusion:
"Wait a minute, this move shouldn't be ineffective against Calamity Grade enemy, right...?"
As he spoke, Fording unleashed another psychic chant, specifically to inspire Lagi.
Instantly, Lagi's spirits lifted. He was no longer hunched over; his posture was as straight as a javelin, and his entire demeanor changed dramatically. He became heroic and spirited, and his eyes shone brightly.
"Isn't this working... huh?"
Fording had only spoken halfway through his sentence, and before he could even feel happy, he saw that Lagi's state only lasted a few seconds. His high-spirited aura suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon, and in the blink of an eye, he returned to his original dejected state, switching back to a listless, lifeless mode, much like the difference between inhaling and contracting one's stomach and relaxing.
"What are you doing...?"
Fording opened his mouth, looking somewhat confused.
This state of energization can usually last for several days, but how come it dissipated in just a few seconds in Lagi's case?
He was unwilling to give up and wanted to try again, but Lagi stopped him, his face full of reluctance.
"Stop torturing me, it's all in vain. Sigh, even if you become Beyond Grade A, it won't bring me relief. Just let me rot quietly in this corner..."
Tsk, that familiar trashy guy, those beautiful Lagi words...
Han Xiao's heart clenched as he listened, and he looked Lagi up and down, making a bold guess:
"Hmm, I think I understand now. Your motivation is, after all, a kind of hypnotic ability, not brainwashing. It can't change someone's personality, so the emotions it evokes in different targets are also different... Maybe Lagi just happens to be exempt from this kind of mental motivation?"
As he spoke, Han Xiao felt more and more certain that he had guessed the truth.
It must be that Lagi's values are too damn strong. Short-term motivation will be broken down in an instant. It's like drinking a sip of chicken soup and making up your mind to work hard tomorrow, but the next day you still play cards and sleep as usual.
Fording thought it made sense and tentatively asked, "How about I try to stir up his despondency and see if you guessed right?"
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao's lips twitched.
"No, please don't. He's already depressed enough. If you make things worse for him, I'm afraid he'll just kill himself on the spot."
"... Reasonable."
Fording was speechless.
The Calamity Grade trainees present gained the experience they wanted, and seeing that Han Xiao and Fording still had something to say, they wisely left, heading off to hone their skills with great enthusiasm. Soon, only the two of them remained in the plaza.
With everyone else gone, Han Xiao approached Fording, patted him on the shoulder, and said with satisfaction:
"Congratulations, you have now been inscribed in the Sanctuary. As long as I live, death will keep its distance."
Fording chuckled softly and said, "My fortuitous encounter this time came from the Soul-Switching Device, and without you, I wouldn't have obtained this Universal Treasure. Thank you."
"Why are you being so polite with me?" Han Xiao waved his hand and said, "By the way, you don't have a nickname yet, do you? I'll think of one for you. How about ' The Singer '? It's quite fitting."
The Singer was Fording's nickname in his previous life. Although his life experience was completely different this time, Han Xiao still felt that the nickname suited Fording.
"Okay, then let's call Singer."
Fording smiled subtly, indicating his acceptance of the title, before suppressing his smile and recounting his experiences in detail, without omitting anything.
Although he guessed that Black Star might already know, he still repeated it.
After listening to Fording's explanation, Han Xiao smiled and nodded.
"I understand. This is your own opportunity. Even if you become Beyond Grade A, you can continue to use that place to quickly improve your strength. Make the most of it."
"That's natural... By the way, the Remnant Soul Terminus is also beneficial to Hila. I can only digest soul remnants with the help of external objects, but Hila has this innate ability. Her growth rate there might even be faster than mine. You should ask her what she thinks. Anyway, the soul remnants there are inexhaustible, and the portion I can digest is negligible."
"It's kind of you to think of him; I think she would be very happy to."
Han Xiao grew increasingly appreciative of Fording, and his admiration only fueled his urge to touch him.
Suppressing his impulse, Han Xiao coughed lightly and said:
"I'll go inform Hila now. She's still undergoing special training in the Netherland. We'll need you to take her there later. After all, you're the one who found the place, and I won't give the coordinates to anyone without your permission."
After saying that, Han Xiao changed into the Sovereign and teleported away in a flash.
Fording watched Han Xiao leave, gently clenching his fist. A strange mix of emotions welled up inside him. He let out a soft breath and muttered to himself:
"You've provided me with nearly a century of protection; now it's finally my turn to help you..."