Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 226 With composure and tranquility, all the meridians flow to the sea; the Dao reveals the true self, the willful horse is subdued and the restless mind is tamed (Part Two)
For ordinary people, spiritual practice is like fishing with a hook; they may not catch a fish even after half a day. But for those with extraordinary talent, spiritual practice is like fishing in a vast ocean with a large net. The difference between them is immeasurable.

The higher one's perception, the clearer one can estimate one's own physical condition, and the more one can capture the existence of that wisp of energy from the various signs and changes within the body.

Breathing, the five senses, blood flow, heartbeat, nerve stimulation, and even the exchange of matter between the human body and the external world, the reaction of energy—a myriad of things, a tangled mess.

For those whose minds are not clear enough and whose senses are not sharp enough, it is truly difficult, difficult, difficult to sort out the clues in the chaotic and noisy signals of the physical body, to perceive the hidden energy, and even to stimulate their bodies to make it sprout and grow!
At that time, the sun rose in the early morning, and the world was bright, but it still couldn't see through the fog in Zhang Yuan's heart. He had a visible energy channel, but he still couldn't feel the formation of the energy in his body, so how could he control it?

At this moment, just one step away from reaching the limit of ordinary people's perception, he was like a flower emerging from the mist, truly grasping that sliver of inspiration. Although his three days of cultivation were far from being as easy as using his own arms, he was able to urge his Qi to circulate and grow without any problems.

Finally, he was accepted into the school.

Unfortunately, no one person can have all the advantages in the world.

While mastering the basics of Qi cultivation is an important step in laying a solid foundation, just as physical strength is merely an excellent starting point for becoming a qualified warrior, the subsequent honing of various skills is a long and arduous journey, and the cultivation of Qi is not something that can be accomplished overnight.

However, compared to the warriors' readily observable skills and expertise in footwork, techniques, and swordsmanship, the monks rely on a more id-oriented and idealistic approach to the cultivation of qi (vital energy).

Cultivating Qi and meridians is a basic skill, and the differences between sects are largely similar. However, when it comes to advanced cultivation, there are specific rules, and the differences in abilities and styles between different sects also stem from this.

The Sun Soul Sect visualizes its own indestructible radiance and cultivates the path of light and heat. The abilities it produces are naturally unparalleled, such as using true qi to achieve effects similar to Sun Arrow and Sunfire Explosion.

Zhang Yuan didn't care much about these special abilities. As a mage, he had the time to hone his skills as a martial monk and had already advanced to touch a higher level of the magic network. Why bother with a far-fetched imitation show?

However, given this opportunity, the monk's various special abilities aroused his desire to take advantage of it.

Immunotoxins, immune diseases, immune aging, high magic resistance, high immunity, and armor-less defense.

This series of abilities is like adding wings to a tiger for Zhang Yuan, who has an extraordinary physique but is unable to wear armor and can only act as a tank.

Things are unpredictable!

Having passed the stage of Qi cultivation, Zhang was stumped by the challenge of meditating and comprehending the Dao.

I thought that as a monk, I was already used to meditation, and even if I couldn't transfer knowledge from one thing to another, it wouldn't be difficult for me to make a connection.

The result was good.

Once you get the hang of it, you realize that these are two completely different concepts. The mage's meditation emphasizes the word "meditation." The spirit and spirituality communicate with the magic network, slowly absorbing the pure energy and arcane knowledge it contains. The outward appearance is calm, but the mind is constantly working.

But the meditation of martial monks, or rather the way of Qi, is another matter; it seeks to achieve stillness.

Only when the heart is at peace can one reflect one's true self. The heart should be like a still lake, without the slightest ripple, serving as a clear mirror to reflect the radiance deep within one's spirit. This is, as Zhang Yuan mentioned casually before, a process of "contemplation".

It's easy to say something is easy to do but difficult to do anywhere. Accustomed to communicating with the magic network and processing knowledge and information, he found it difficult to enter that state of emptiness and tranquility. Once he entered a meditative state, while not exactly agitated, he always found himself unable to control his wandering thoughts, especially when trying to suppress his active contact with the magic network. His mind was like a restless monkey; this was no exaggeration. No matter how many Taoist scriptures and Buddhist principles Zhang had read in his previous life, or the so-called self-cultivation scenes in online novels, in the end, he hadn't changed much.

Feeling a little annoyed, she stopped her forced attempt and looked at the bald man. At the same time, the other man sensed something and opened his eyes to look over.

“The practice of meditation is a gradual process that cannot be rushed. You already know the method, so just practice diligently on your own. When you have achieved something, it is not too late to come to me.”

Although Zhang Yuan nodded in agreement, he was unwilling, but he didn't have many good options. Even orthodox martial monks had to rely on years of meditation and adherence to precepts to achieve a state of mind that aligned with the sect's ideals.

With just myself, a complete novice who only recently entered the field? It's not hopeless, but I'd probably have to pay even more. Wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?

The main purpose of staying behind to cultivate immortality has been achieved. Anything else is fine if it comes, but we shouldn't force it if it doesn't.

I never intended to take on a part-time role as a monk; my original intention was to complete the Chi path of the Sword Saint class, but I've been getting a bit obsessed with it these past few days.

With only a few days left before my scheduled departure, I might as well solidify my basics. If I can learn some rudimentary application skills, that would be a pleasant surprise.

With a relaxed mindset, Master Zhang actually enjoyed the process of immersing himself in meditation, which made Barberton across from him feel more at ease as well.

The giant monk had encountered this kind of stubbornness and ignorance more than once in his long training.

As night fell, Zhang Yuan, who had just taken a bath in a bathtub shaped like a rice bowl, dried himself off, climbed into his giant crib, and after his usual period of Buddhist meditation, couldn't help but try to enter a state of deep concentration to regulate the flow of his energy.

To comprehend the profound mysteries and attain enlightenment, to forget oneself and the external world—this is called "sitting in oblivion." This level of attainment is naturally beyond the reach of Master Zhang, but fortunately, he has adjusted his mindset and can still enter a shallow state of meditation without any problem.

With everything finished, Zhang Yuan, lying motionless on the bed, mentally planned the training goals for the next few people before pulling over the pillow beside him. He couldn't miss the early morning class at sunrise tomorrow.

He glanced sideways at the slender Shuying lying on the other end of the bed and sighed, "Why did you have to do that? You should have left with my teammates. Why did you have to stay here alone?"

"I said I would follow you, not them." The female elf turned to look at her, then turned her back again, remaining silent.

Yes, the person sharing the bed was indeed Miss Talinda.

Three days ago, the Moon Elf delegation and the Canaan team had already left, leaving Captain Zhang with this new member. It would be nice to have a beautiful woman by his side, but Zhang Yuan, who was focused on cultivation, didn't have much free time.
I originally intended to just hand it over to my own team so that the other party and the team members could get to know each other, but I couldn't get rid of it and they stuck with me.

After staring at the other person's back for a while, Master Zhang was too lazy to care what the other person was thinking. He pulled the covers over his head, out of sight, out of mind, and fell into a deep sleep.

Thank you dragonbron for the monthly pass!



(End of this chapter)