Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 225 With composure and tranquility, all the meridians flow to the sea; the Dao reveals the true self, capturing the unruly horse and restraining the restless mind.
This... the food hasn't even warmed up yet, and we don't even know what's going on, and we have to hand it in?
Seemingly sensing the pain in the eyes of a certain miser, the old man was both annoyed and amused:
"Tch, what? Reluctant to part with it? You think these magical items from the abyss are so easy to handle? This stuff is hot as a hot potato!"

"Then why don't you just decipher and purify this incomplete page?" Master Zhang thought to himself.

“Fine, you want me, a druid, to purify a necromancer artifact? Do you need parchment?” Garas quipped. “The higher the level of the demonic item, the more terrifying its side effects and accompanying curses. Without matching personal power, corruption or death are the most common outcomes.”

Having been rebuffed, Zhang Yuan had no choice but to let Galas put away the parchment scroll without mentioning the matter of authentication.

As they strolled along, they spotted Suo-Kouhu and Saza-De waiting in front of the main city gate. The four met up, exchanged pleasantries and said their goodbyes. Suo-Kouhu pulled out two items from somewhere and handed them to Zhang Yuan. The latter glanced at them, his face lit up with joy, and then he put them in his pocket, his expression remaining unchanged.

Turning his head, he saw the old man raise his cane, select a spot on the lawn to carve a few symbols, then plant the cane in the center and wave goodbye to Zhang Yuan.

The old man himself seemed to transform into a humanoid figure sculpted from green light. Suddenly, he flashed brightly and then vanished, disappearing without a trace as if he had entered the magic circle beneath his feet.

With the main character gone, the big shot of nonsense exchanged a few words with Sazard beside him and then politely took his leave, leaving the two young men, one big and one small, staring at each other in silence.

Saying it's an eye mismatch is inaccurate; his eyeballs are bigger than Zhang Yuan's head.

In short, after the two stared at each other for a while, it was the giant who spoke first.

"Are you really going to stay and learn the way of the monks from that weirdo Barberton?" The little shaman was curious, but with the two big shots present, he couldn't speak up, so he stood aside and acted as if he were invisible.

"I'm just a little curious about the Dao of Qi," Zhang Yuan said vaguely, thus glossing over the matter.

The young giant didn't ask any further questions. He carefully examined the other's black hair, black eyes, and yellow skin, and it seemed that he himself came from that distant continent. It was understandable that he was interested in this.

"You'll be staying here for another seven or eight days. Is the baby—or rather, the crib—sleeping comfortably?" Sazad blurted out without thinking.

The monk stopped worrying about these things and chatted without taking them to heart. After a short while, Little Sa also had to leave, only saying that Barberton would be there in a little while.

High in the sky, at the edge of the sea of ​​clouds, the magnificent castle of the cloud giants stands majestically. Standing on the high platform of the castle tower and looking down, this fortress is like an isolated island in the sea of ​​clouds. Beyond the city's boundaries, as far as the eye can see, there is only a vast expanse of desolation. Although it is still magnificent, it is inevitably lonely.

Before Master Zhang could even rack his brains to express his thoughts, a muffled, thunderous voice rang out, and Barberton arrived.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, come with me."

“Meditation and the spellcaster’s meditation have some similarities, but their essences are completely different. The latter goes without saying; as a spellcaster, you certainly understand it better than I do. As for the former,” the bald man said, sitting on the ground and talking eloquently. The two of them had now come to the platform where they had been at sunrise. Zhang Yuan, sitting cross-legged opposite him, looked like a little mouse listening to a sermon before a Buddha.

"The essence of the Way of Qi is insight, clarity, and understanding. Whether it is meditation or enlightenment, it is actually a way for people to see their true selves and recognize themselves." Bafo preached, his voice like thunder.

"Master, may I ask what the true self is?" the rat spirit asked, quite eager to answer.

"The soul is the dwelling place of the spirit, and the body is the abode of the soul. The various weaknesses and flaws of the physical body and mind will always obscure and distort one's will. Therefore, martial monk sects often establish various precepts and practices, or rely on and take refuge in deities, either to strengthen themselves or to have something to rely on." "How to practice?"

"The fundamental goal is to understand one's true nature and see one's true self. However, different sects have different methods of cultivation. Our Sun Soul Sect firmly believes that every life's soul contains the most original and purest indestructible light. Our cultivation is to guide out the life energy contained within our bodies, that is, Qi, and transform it into blazing light to ignite the sun in our souls."

"I say, your sect's method isn't called the Great Sun Visualization Method, is it?" Zhang Yuan casually remarked, having been listening to the dazzling array of explanations.

"Uh~" The bald man's face stiffened, and he rubbed his smooth forehead: "It seems there is no clear answer, but your name is good, so let's just call you that."

"It's a pity I'm not from the Sword Saint Sect. Their methods and the Nine Swords Dao would be more suitable for you."

"Things in this world can't always go as planned, but it doesn't matter." Zhang Yuan was quite philosophical about it. Compared to those unrealistic dreams, the opportunity right in front of him was real and tangible. What more could he ask for?
In the following days, Zhang Yuan, who had just won the naming rights to the cultivation method, devoted himself to practicing Qi cultivation with the other party. This process was not as simple as just sitting in meditation.

Body and breath unite; breath and mind unite.

Various boxing techniques, stances, and even breathing skills must be practiced in order to mobilize the physical body and strengthen the energy channels, which is also the foundation of cultivating the way of Qi.

Fortunately, Zhang Yuan's physical condition is nothing short of freakish, and his comprehension and learning abilities are among the best. He can learn these techniques and methods in no time, and even high-intensity practice doesn't bother him; in fact, he can push himself even harder.

Not to mention that he already possessed the foundation of energy and meridians brought by the Sword Saint position. In just three days, the power that had been dormant and hidden within this body finally converged like rivers, lakes, seas, and streams flowing into the ocean with the help of the orthodox methods of the martial monk lineage.

This power is not stored in a certain part of the body, but rather flows like a great river, circulating endlessly.

As the body's energy channels flow, new energy continuously joins in, and the energy channels themselves constantly branch out to nourish the physical body.

This is the way of cultivating qi in the lineage of martial monks. By circulating qi, they strengthen their qi channels and then use qi pulses to cleanse and nourish their bodies. The whole process seems to be a natural progression, but in fact, there are many coincidences involved.

The above conditions need not be elaborated upon. However, even if an ordinary person possesses extraordinary physical qualities and comprehension, it is not guaranteed that they can successfully enter the path of Qi. Just sensing this hidden life energy alone keeps many people outside the threshold.

Zhang Yuan's smooth progress was actually due to the solid foundation he had laid long ago. A tall building doesn't rise overnight. Moreover, thanks to the surge in his perception attributes, this process was further aided.

Only by personally experiencing the huge difference before and after the increase in perception can one understand why perception is the primary attribute of the monk class.

It's not just about the skills that monks excel at, such as deflecting arrows; it's also the core aptitude for the Way of Qi.

The life force is contained within every living being, but even those individuals who are born with extraordinary physiques, and even those who have obtained the orthodox path of cultivation, still cannot cross this threshold!
What solution?

Thank you to MaiSui1 and leesen2004 for your monthly pass support, thank you!

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(End of this chapter)