Chapter 474: Calm Mind
Chapter 474: Calm Mind
After listening to Teacher Xue's words, Chen Chuan glanced at the bowl of living water a few times. As his gaze swept over the surface, he noticed a faint ripple forming.
He tried to suppress his aura, but it had no effect. He then attempted to alter his aura, but the result remained the same.
Chen Chuan began to contemplate countermeasures.
He recalled that when Teacher Xue had placed the bowl of living water in front of him, there had been no disturbance at all.
But now, as he tried to perceive it with his aura, the water seemed to sense a certain stimulus, leading to a sense of hostility and alertness towards him.
In other words, the water had 'remembered' him.
This might have created some kind of spiritual connection, and it wouldn't be easy to eliminate. Perhaps as long as he was present, it would be difficult to accomplish this task.
If the goal was solely to achieve the result, the simplest method would be to use his secondary self to block out external disturbances. By doing so, the living water would likely cease to perceive his existence, allowing him to pass the test instantly.
However, Chen Chuan's intention was to learn to control his divine self, and this method wouldn't help him improve his skills. Moreover, it wasn't a life-or-death situation, so there was no need to resort to such measures.
He slowly calmed his thoughts, which wasn't too difficult at this stage. After all, cultivating the breathing technique required concentration and stillness, inherently demanding control over one's spiritual state.
Additionally, he had a reference point right in front of him, making it easy to see if he was on the right track.
But after trying, he found that it wasn't very effective. The ripples did become slightly weaker, but they didn't disappear completely.
He was certain that without the proper technique, no matter how long he continued, he wouldn't be able to achieve the best result. Perhaps with a few days, he could further weaken the connection, but it was impossible to sever the spiritual link through this method alone.
Chen Chuan thought further. Earlier, Teacher Xue had mentioned restraining one's thoughts, and it seemed that following this path would be beneficial. However, he felt that it might not be that simple.
Teacher Xue's words seemed casual, and her demeanor appeared carefree, but there were hidden pitfalls in her words. If he followed her instructions blindly, he would surely fall into the trap she had set. Having learned this lesson once, he couldn't afford to make the same mistake again.
After careful consideration, Chen Chuan believed that restraining one's thoughts was just one aspect, and there might be other points to pay attention to.
Teacher Xue had specifically mentioned aura techniques, which couldn't be useless.
Altering one's aura was also a way to manipulate spiritual power, and the current lack of effect might be because auras conveyed multiple pieces of information. Perhaps by eliminating other expressions and focusing solely on the spiritual aspect, allowing the restrained spirit to undergo similar changes, he could accomplish the task.
Whether this was true or not, it was worth a try.
Such a task would be challenging to accomplish immediately without prior experience, but fortunately, the bowl of living water served as an ideal reference, allowing him to make constant adjustments.
Teacher Xue observed him from the side, her fingers tapping slowly on her knee, her eyes filled with interest and a hint of expectation, as if anticipating something.
After a few minutes of Chen Chuan's efforts, the ripples in the bowl of living water suddenly disappeared. But just a moment later, with a single breath, the ripples reappeared.
At this moment, Chen Chuan also realized how difficult it was to maintain this state, just as Teacher Xue had said—it was challenging for an untrained person to control their spirit effectively.
He could indeed transform it, but if it were a complete aura, it would be easier. However, if it was challenging to grasp if it were merely a spiritual change.
To achieve this, there must be some technique involved, something he couldn't figure out on his own.
But he had a hunch that there might be another way.
Teacher Xue smiled slightly, as Chen Chuan had technically passed this stage since he had only asked him to make the ripples disappear, without specifying how long it should last. Even if it were just for an instant, it would still be acceptable.
However, it seemed that Chen Chuan wanted to continue, and Teacher Xue was willing to wait and see how far this student could go.
Chen Chuan pondered and decided that if he couldn't restrain his thoughts, he wouldn't bother trying. He didn't need to maintain a single state.
Following the logic of aura changes, he could continuously alter the expression of his spirit, and by changing it enough, the living water wouldn't sense his presence, making him a 'stranger' to it.
A stranger's changes wouldn't trigger a reaction.
With this realization, he immediately put it into practice, making adjustments as he went along.
In life, some things are difficult because one doesn't know where they are going wrong or what to aim for. But with this living reference, the direction was clear, and he should make good use of it.
Teacher Xue witnessed the ripples on the surface of the living water, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, and occasionally disappearing for a while.
After numerous repetitions, just before an hour had passed, the water finally became completely still and remained that way until the end of the session.
Teacher Xue laughed and turned to Chen Chuan, saying, "Chen, you've accomplished the task within an hour, well done. Especially, you didn't blindly follow the rules but actively sought solutions, that's excellent."
He loved students like this the most, those who had already mastered the necessary skills and possessed all the required abilities. Moreover, they could find a way out based on his subtle hints instead of stubbornly forcing their way through, making them a pleasure to teach.
He continued, "Chen, you should have noticed that the spirit itself is active and flowing, making it extremely challenging to control. Even if you can restrain the very core of your self, you can't gather all the scattered thoughts. Instead, it's relatively easier to promote its transformation."
Chen Chuan nodded.
Teacher Xue said, "This is hard to avoid because as long as a person is alive, their spirit possesses such vitality. However, to progress, one must concentrate the spirit.
The more concentrated the spirit is, the more resilient it becomes, allowing it to possess power. It's like scattered water that doesn't gather to form an ocean and thus fails to create an impact. Now, I'll teach you the techniques within."
The first step is called 'Calm Mind,' which means calming one's thoughts.
Spiritual techniques are challenging to express verbally, so I'll use a method to help you experience it intuitively.
Hmm, it's not using aura techniques. When conveying spiritual techniques, this method is inappropriate because the information is too chaotic and impure, leading to unnecessary interference. Sometimes, the spirit may even get contaminated. So, we'll use another approach."
He extended a hand and solemnly said, "Chen, grab my wrist."
Chen Chuan reached out as instructed, and the moment he grasped Teacher Xue's wrist, his body suddenly felt light, as if his consciousness had detached from his physical form. The surroundings became quiet, and everything related to his senses seemed to disappear, as if he were immersed in nothingness.
At that moment, he heard Teacher Xue say, "Let me demonstrate for you."
In reality, Teacher Xue hadn't spoken these words, nor had he heard them; they resonated directly from his spiritual consciousness.
"To calm, one must first quiet the mind. The first step is to clear the mind and guard the void. Your thoughts are chaotic and scattered, like a jumping monkey, making it challenging to capture them one by one. But once they calm down, it becomes easy to bind them one by one. Therefore, this method is also called 'Bind the Heart Monkey.'"
After completing this step, it doesn't mean everything is settled because the heart monkey may break free. So, one needs to focus the mind on a single object, visualize it, and use it to guard against the initial thoughts."
As the voice resonated, he suddenly saw a bright light appearing in the void, a luminous object like a jade crystal. The moment it appeared, it seemed to capture his entire attention, leaving no room for anything else.
The voice continued, "When your spirit gathers, your thoughts, memories, emotions, and consciousness will all be bound together into a bundle, making it impossible to separate oneself from it. Similarly, if this spirit collapses, a person may lose their self, becoming no more than a walking corpse. Spiritual offense and defense are as dangerous as physical combat, if not more so in some aspects.
Therefore, after prolonged guarding, one must repeatedly practice to refine and remove impurities, retaining only the essence, eventually becoming like crystal, shining like jade."
As these words were spoken, Chen Chuan saw the jade light becoming clearer and more transparent, glowing brightly as if illuminating everything around it.
At that moment, he felt a tremor throughout his body, and he emerged from this state, as if falling from the clouds. His consciousness returned to his body, and various thoughts and ideas flooded from every corner.
During the previous calm state, these thoughts were like a quiet moon in the night sky, hanging silently. But now, it was as if he had suddenly entered a bustling street, full of ups and downs, leaving no room for peace. It took a while for him to regain his composure.
Teacher Xue waited for his thoughts to settle before saying with a smile, "I've guided you this far, not because I'm unwilling to continue. This guidance also helps to gather your spirit, although it's relatively gentle. But for those who have never trained their spirits, it's challenging to persist for long.
If we continue, it will inevitably consume your spirit. When the spirit is exhausted, it doesn't stop there; it will continue to deplete your essence. If you don't break free, your entire life force will be drained until you perish."
Chen Chuan nodded in understanding. However, with Teacher Xue's reminder, he also gained some clarity about the reason for Chengsheng's defeat and death.
Chengsheng must have taken an all-or-nothing approach, attacking his opponent solely through spiritual means. But if he couldn't destroy the enemy's spirit, he would, in turn, be shattered, an extremely extreme method.
Teacher Xue said, "I've told you how to calm your mind. After you grasp this initial step, I'll guide you on the next step of the cultivation method."
(End of Chapter)
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