Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 490 Miscellaneous Thoughts
"I've heard that after the Rainbow Dragons pass through the extremely old dragon stage and become Ancient Dragons, they detach from their physical form?"

Zhang Yuan recalled the personal experiences he had gained from books:

"At that time, my consciousness followed the magic network to the final mountain. What I saw and heard in retrospect seemed like an illusion. Indeed, only spirits or energy beings could enter it."

"Teacher, although I could not fully appreciate the intricacies of it with my limited vision at the time, the feelings I experienced during that brief stay, and the almost seamless contact with the magic network, are experiences that I have never had before, even after many advancements."

Tyrantil tapped his knuckles on his cane and looked over:
"Although it cannot be simply regarded as the inner ring of the magic network, the two must be inextricably linked, otherwise it would be difficult to explain the almost unbroken lineage of legendary spellcasters within the Rainbow Dragon Clan."

This secret is quite terrifying. Legendary spellcasters are different from legendary creatures. The latter rely on bloodline inheritance, and there are always naturally outstanding beings who break through the limits and enter this realm after accumulating enough years. Especially for certain dragon species, such as Time Dragons and Power Dragons, it is no big deal.

But the path of arcane magic is far more complex than that. If one could break through limits simply by relying on bloodline power, then the most powerful spellcasters would undoubtedly be those sorcerers who make a living based on their looks.

However, the truth is that these guys who rose to power through bloodline could not escape the constraints of bloodline in the end. Those warlocks who could break through this barrier either worked as mages, spending their time and effort studying arcane magic, or they cheated.

The legendary warlock's graduation thesis: "My Deity Father/Mother".

Furthermore, it's absurd that the Rainbow Dragon can maintain the stable lineage of legendary spellcasters. This cannot be explained by bloodline or aptitude. As the saying goes, those who reach that level are beyond the realm of the ordinary, and the Rainbow Dragon's bloodline is by no means comparable to that of gods or divine beings.

"The final mountain cannot be the inner ring of the magic network, but it must have a very deep connection with the magic network. It may even be a projection of the magic network's core into the ether, serving as a hub for the convergence and transfer of arcane energy."

"ether?"

Zhang Yuan quickly reacted and asked:
"Is the final mountain in the spirit world?"

"Based on the currently known conditions, this is the case."

The Grand Master seemed to have studied this matter beforehand; his gaze had already been turned to that mysterious place:

"The elemental planes are the core of the entire multiverse. The six elemental attributes constitute the most basic existence of this world. The magic network extends to almost every plane in this multiverse, with immeasurable energy connecting and linking them. The energy it contains is not something that comes out of thin air."

"Is the energy of the Magic Network also derived from the inner dimension?"

The nature of the Magic Network and its origins remain a subject of much debate, with no definitive conclusion. Zhang Yuan himself has heard several different versions of the story.

"It's not entirely true, but it's not entirely true either. Although spellcasters have organized the arcane system into eight major schools according to the operating rules of the magic network, once you return to the basics, it is still largely about calling upon and shaping different energies and their constituent substances."

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Yuan raised an objection:
"Not necessarily, teacher. What about the spellcasting and divination schools?"

"That's right, that's why I say the magic network can't be defined simply as the aggregation of elemental energy. There's an important concept here that can't be ignored."

Tyrandeur confirmed his disciple's question, and then used magical tricks to sketch a rough outline in the air:
"While the elemental realm provides the basic structure of this world, these primordial forces do not directly affect the various planes, but rather..."

The archmage flicked his finger, adding a few strokes to the sketch:

"Projecting one's power through a sub-plane."

"The spirit world?!" "Yes, the etheric plane."

The spirit realm is the ethereal plane, also known as the sea of ​​spirits or the realm of the ethereal spirits; the master and disciple were referring to the same thing.

"After the beginning of creation, the power of the elemental planes was enveloped by ether. The spirit realm, as a buffer and transit plane, lies between the elemental realms and other planes. Have you thought about this question?"

"Hey?"

"Although we monks believe that everything has a solution and try to analyze phenomena with knowledge, we must also admit that it is possible to mobilize the magic net or other great powers purely by relying on the mind and thought, and this phenomenon is even more common in planes outside the material world."

Tyrandeer raised an eyebrow, seemingly considering his words:
"Therefore, our universe is quite idealistic on a certain level, but the problem is that, unlike the way mages and warlocks communicate with the magic network, the power of psionic energy is more direct and pure, and it is even effective in areas that the magic network cannot reach."

"It's because of the existence of ether."

This question is not difficult to answer; it doesn't require a high IQ. The answer is clear from the foreshadowing provided by the archmage.

“Ether is a very special thing, existing between the elements and the material realm, yet independent of both,”

Tyrantir ignored his disciple's answer and went straight to explaining the relevant theories:
"People have different names for ether, such as spiritual matter or the seventh element."

Ah this?

This statement reminded him of people's conjectures about the medium of light before the discovery of relativity and the constancy of the speed of light, and even the earlier metaphysical theory of the five elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and ether.

"The basic structure of the material plane comes from the supplementation of the elemental realm. However, our prime material plane cannot be explained by the simple aggregation of elemental forces. Its plane properties are also very different from those of the elemental realm."

"The material plane has always been the focus of the gods' attention. The gods need the faith of mortals, and faith comes from the soul."

"Is ether the essence of the soul?"

"It's not that simple. Otherwise, wouldn't all the gods be fighting tooth and nail in the spirit world to fight for control of the ether?"

The high priest denied this conjecture, then his tone grew increasingly slow and low:

"The nature of the soul is a question that I cannot answer at present, but as ether is the carrier of the soul in the spirit world, the relationship between the two is as close as that between the body and the soul."

"What is certain is the extraordinary capacity of ether to carry and transmit thoughts, consciousness, and spirituality, as well as the role ether plays in the energy circulation within the magic network."

“When a spellcaster communicates with the magic web weaving spell, the aether itself often has no effect except for certain spells. However, without its presence, even the initial spell casting steps are difficult to begin. After all, mortals are not elemental or divine beings who naturally possess authority and domain.”

"Ether is like the solvent in an alchemical reaction. Although it does not participate in the reaction itself, it is an important medium in the entire alchemical reaction."

The test-taker Zhang Yuan offered an analogy, to which the Grand Master nodded slightly and then corrected him:
"It rarely directly participates in energy conversion effects, while spells like Anti-Magic Field distort and transform the ether, directly severing the connection between a region and the magic network, thus achieving the purpose of blocking magic."

Thank you for the monthly pass from Wanliutongyuan!


(End of this chapter)