Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 218 Sitting and discussing the Dao, understanding one's mind and seeing one's true nature is cultivation; Two flowers bloom, the two schools of sword energy are different.
Hmm~~~Very good.

What a fart!
Feeling something was amiss, Zhang Yuan stopped Sazard, who was in charge of moving the bed over, and after repeated questioning, Sazard finally stammered out the truth.

The truth confirmed the monk's premonition: the bed was indeed a modified version of the Cloud Giant's crib!

Taking advantage of Zhang Yuan's momentary lapse in concentration, Sazard immediately made his escape, leaving him with no way to protest.

This is just... freaking...

Cool!
Really fragrant!

After washing himself clean, Zhang Yuan jumped onto the bed and found it to be surprisingly soft and elastic, with an extremely delicate fabric. As he rolled around on the bed, he felt as if he were rolling on a layer of velvet cotton.

Besides, even though it's called a small bed, it's still nearly fifty square meters in size, enough for him to roll around and have fun.

Just as Master Zhang was letting loose, a figure stealthily climbed up. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than the female thief Nancy.

???

A night raid? Do you think I'm Yang Guo? You don't seem like Xiaolongnu either.
Zhang Da Guanren looked at the other person warily and even straightened his somewhat disheveled pajamas.

"What? What are you doing?"

Nancy's face darkened at those words, and she replied irritably:
"Those guys are all crammed into the bed and throwing a tantrum, while you have this huge bed all to yourself. What's wrong with giving me half?"

After much pleading and cajoling, Zhang Yuan finally agreed to the other party's request. As the other party was about to go to sleep, they took out the thorny ring, transformed it into a long whip, and placed it on the center line of the bed.

"Don't cross the line, or I can't guarantee what might happen," the female thief said.

"Nonsense, if I really wanted to sleep with you, this thing would be useless except as a sex toy. Go ahead and sleep with me." The mage rolled to the other end, too lazy to say anything more.

Silent all night.

The next day, everyone got up very early. Although they were still a little sleepy, they still insisted on getting up to wash and get ready.

Watching the sunrise from the top of the clouds was an idea that Captain Zhang proposed last night, and it was unanimously agreed upon by his teammates. Such an opportunity had never existed before, and it was unknown what the future held.

The group arrived at the viewing platform facing east from the guest rooms. At this time, the moon was hidden and the stars were few, and dawn had not yet arrived. It was a dark and desolate place. After a short while, streaks of dawn appeared on the distant horizon, turning the far-off place into a pale white.

As the sun leaps out and sits above the clouds, it shines with countless rays of light, dyeing the clouds with vibrant colors, like neon lights, as brilliant as brocade. Standing in the Cloud City and looking down, it is as if a layer of crimson coral sea has been laid out in the sky.

Just as everyone was enjoying the scenery, a huge figure appeared in their field of vision. Its bright bald head reflected the glow of the sunset, immediately revealing its identity.

Good morning, Barberton.

After the monk sent a greeting using a telepathic spell, the other party turned around in surprise, looked around for a while, and then became somewhat delighted when they saw Zhang Yuan and his group on the balcony.

After exchanging a few words with his teammates, the mage cast a Featherfall spell on himself and leaped down. As he landed gracefully, he saw Barberton rushing to his side.

After exchanging a few words, I learned that the other person was about to engage in morning Qi cultivation. The Way of Qi is different from the training and tempering of ordinary warriors; it places more emphasis on the perception of a state of mind, or enlightenment, or meditation—in short, something metaphysical.

This kind of practice also requires perseverance and willpower. Barberton has persisted in this path for many years. While he is not completely unwavering, he rarely slacks off.

Arriving early was also a stroke of luck. Zhang Yuan, who was already struggling to find the way in, simply begged the other party to guide him in his comprehension. Even if the process would take a long time, it would be good to get some clues.

“No problem, but this can’t be rushed. It would be great if you could stay a little longer.” Barberton said, stretching out his palm and laying it flat on the ground. “Get on, let’s go together.”

Without hesitation, Zhang Yuan leaped up, just like Sun Wukong jumping into the Buddha's palace.

Barberton lifted him up with one hand, placed him on his shoulder, and strode away, arriving a moment later at a high platform on the edge of Cloud City.

Two figures, one tall and one short, sat cross-legged, facing each other.

"The cultivation of Qi originates from the Way of the Heart. Comprehension is the foundation, and the flow of Qi is the essence." The bald man's voice was like thunder, and his breath was like the wind as he explained the matter of cultivation in detail: "The heart is the foundation of Qi, and Qi is the function of the heart."

This profound and mysterious explanation was like a cultivation method from his previous life or a Buddhist Zen principle. It wouldn't be difficult for Zhang Yuan to understand it with his intelligence. But how could he apply such obscure principles and methods to actual cultivation?

You can't actually go and cultivate immortality, can you?
As Barberton explained further, it dawned on me that the so-called Way of the Heart is actually the process of perceiving and establishing a connection with the circulation of Qi within the human body.

The essence of Qi is a special kind of magic, or life energy. Qi is hidden in the bodies of all living things, but some individuals do not have enough life strength or perception, making it difficult for them to detect and utilize this innate power.

Needless to say, the monks hone their bodies, and the meditation and other techniques they practice are all aimed at sensing the existence of ki and controlling its flow more smoothly.

This is what is known as the Way of the Heart, and the fundamental purpose of the actions often performed by monks, such as precepts, vows, aspirations, and even faith in deities, is to realize their true nature.

The more one endures hardship and trials, the more steadfastly one follows and implements one's own path, the stronger one's inner self becomes.

Having endured countless trials and tribulations, the warrior monks' hearts are like polished diamonds, sculpted jade, and forged sharp edges, radiating brilliance and clarity, like a bright mirror reflecting everything within and without.

The monk Panyun is said to be immortal and live as long as the heavens. What kind of realm and cultivation does that represent?
Of course, all of this is too far off-topic; the most urgent task is to get started as soon as possible.

His progress in the path of arcane arts was extremely smooth, thanks to the system's assistance and his own talent. Currently, thanks to the Sword Saint position granted by the system, he already has Qi flowing within his body and can even use the Qi-Boosting Slash ability in a rudimentary way.

But that's all there is to it. There's still a long way to go before it can be operated smoothly, honed and strengthened, and even used with complete ease.

Unlike the intelligence required of a Dharma Master, the Way of Qi places greater emphasis on a practitioner's perception and communication abilities, that is, their sensory attributes.

Even with his equipment, Zhang Yuan only has twelve points of perception. He's stronger than an ordinary person, but he's still not quite ready to enter the Qi Path cultivation.

Fortunately, Barberton was aware of this:

“You are a sword saint, not a pure monk. Don’t demand that you go as far down this path as we have. The essence of a sword saint is a special combination of warrior and monk. Chi is a part of this profession, not the whole.”

The bald man, fearing that Zhang Yuan might not understand, explained in great detail: "Martial monks use their qi in various ways to temper their bodies, hone their skills, resist illness and aging, and even develop some extraordinary abilities. But as a sword saint, it is enough if you can initially control your qi channels and make it grow stronger along with your body so that you can use it for your own attacks."

Thank you to Wanliutongyuan, Lazy Dormouse, and Haoyezhiyue for your monthly ticket support!
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(End of this chapter)