Levelling psylink without Empire titles or anima tree?

[🅾🅼🅸🅲🆁🅾🅽]

I'm playing on an old pre-1.2 extreme desert save, which didn't have an anima tree on the map. I've just received a psylink neuroformer from a quest, but once installed how will that pawn level up its ability level? I don't want to turn him/her into a noble (otherwise they'd get a free psylink from the Bestower anyway). So what's the point of a psylink quest reward then?

I've got gauranlen trees sprouting in the desert just fine, but years later still no anima tree, and afaik other focuses don't have ways of levelling psylink levels without Empire honor? So are psylink quest rewards just for tribals with anima trees then? Don't these trees grow in (already generated) deserts?

[Astasia]

Every psylink neuroformer you apply to a colonist increases their psylink level by 1. You just get more of them to level up. No tree or titles required.

[Winterbloom]

afaik, using more neuroformers allows ranking up psylevel. this becomes a waste if you then try to gain titles or using a tree though as it wont boost the level till you get that title or link level.