Nausica’s intuition is correct.
Angel recalled that not too long ago, he agreed to be neighbours with Shalem. And in less than a day, he changed his mind. Angel himself felt a little embarra.s.sed and showed an embarra.s.sed look on his face.
How could Nausica not understand when she saw Angel’s expression?
“I guess I was right. You’re moving out, aren’t you? Yeah… It’s not called moving out. After all, you haven’t even moved in yet.”
Nausica guessed his move. Angel was embarra.s.sed, but he didn’t intend on hiding it. He couldn’t hide it anyways.
So he talked about renting his villa in Apprentice Town. But the source of his magic crystal was somewhat difficult to explain, so he simply pulled up Sanders tiger skin flag. Besides, the contribution points were indeed given by Sanders, albeit in exchange for his mementoes.
“I heard Miss Aubrey say a lot about how the Second Level Apprentices are reluctant to spend contribution points in order live in Apprentice Town!” Shalem said with envy, “You’re lucky to have such a good mentor.”
“It’s okay to stay in Apprentice Town.” Nausica picked up the broken chain on the ground and said. “It’s too unsafe to live in this place anyways. You have a feud with Hooked.i.c.k too. If he sneaks in at night, the consequences will be unthinkable.”
Shalem nodded in agreement. “Yes, Miss Nausica is right. I didn’t think about it at first, but now that I think about it. It’s too unsafe for you. A sharp weapon could cut off the chain lock. It is evident we are now not living around kind ordinary people, but extraordinary people who are about to step into the door of transcendence. If they want to break in, there must be many means. It is also a very unpleasant thing to be interrupted during one’s spiritual practice. Moreover, Toby is a bird and should be unused to living underground without sunlight.”
“You’re one step ahead of us.” Nausica patted Angel on the shoulder: “When I’ve earned enough magic crystals, I will move out of here at the first opportunity.”
“Me too!” Shalem smiled and said, “We’ll be neighbours then!”
Angel’s embarra.s.sment was finally dispelled by the two understanding.
“I’m sure the day you two leave here won’t be too long.” Angel said.
…
On the same day, Angel moved his luggage into the Apprentice Town villa.
The villa is located on the edge of Apprentice Town No. 8 near a stream. Because it is backed up against the woods. From time to time, one can see fearless animals coming out from the woods. Leisurely drinking and resting by the stream. As soon as Angel arrived, he saw several red-billed sunset pelicans fishing in the stream and several white deer snuggling up on the bank to drink water.
“The natural scenery is quite beautiful.” This quiet and beautiful first impression made Angel’s satisfaction with his new residence soar.
The villa is surrounded by white fences. Although these fences are low, they are carved with magic patterns. Making it very difficult for someone to break through them. The courtyard in the fence was also small, with only a miniature greenhouse. There is a mistletoe about three meters high on the edge of the greenhouse. The Mirror World’s temperature is mostly warm, so this tree is lush with green branches and leaves. If one looks closely, they can even see a bit of pollen.
Angel entered the villa, now the furniture has been delivered by the administrator. The furniture was casually placed in the living room, which makes it look a bit messy. Angel spent most of the day tidying up the furniture and placing them where they belong. During the process of finishing up the placements, he also had a better understanding of the interior environment in the villa.
The villa has three floors. The top floor is a triangular attic. The second floor is the guest room, and the first floor is the master bedroom, study and living room. There is also a bas.e.m.e.nt, specifically used for spiritual practice.
Angel’s own room is the master bedroom on the first floor, and the room he arranged for Toby is the attic on the top floor. There is a skylight at the top through which he can see the mistletoe branches outside. The greenery is very pleasing to the eye. Toby was also very satisfied with his room. He can fly out through the skylight at any time. Allowing him to get out and have some fresh air, which makes him very happy.
After setting up Toby’s room, Angel returned to his bedroom.
There was nothing in the bedroom except a bed. The walls were empty, and while Angel looked at the white seeping walls, he felt they looked too desolate. Suddenly he stood up and took the two oil paintings out of his luggage.
He hung the < Traveler Under the Stars > on the opposite wall to the bed. The other < Shepherd Milking on the Prairie > painting, instead of hanging it, he put it in his study and covered it up with some canvas. Angel didn’t know if there were any secrets regarding the painting, so he didn’t hang it out as a precaution.
With the oil painting as embellishment, the bedroom immediately added a sense of enrichment. Angel ran around a lot today, leaving him exhausted, and while lying on the bed. He soon drifted off to sleep.
The next day, Angel was awoken by the bright morning sun. He opened the curtains, went to the balcony to breath in some fresh air. He looked at the blue mountains and the small animals playing by the nearby brook, feeling an inexplicably sense of quiet and comfort.
He had no plans to go out today and decided to officially start working on his guidance method… Angel had great expectations for this < Singularity Scattering Mediation > book. He hopes that through this guidance method, he can quickly transcend and become a Wizard. He wants to save Jon’s life smoothly before the five-year period.
But before he can learn his guidance method, he must first feel his mental force.
Angel let Toby move freely outside, and headed off to the bas.e.m.e.nt, not forgetting to eat some dried before hurrying off.
The bas.e.m.e.nt is very large and s.p.a.cious, and all three basic magic energy arrays are attached to the four walls. No matter what one does, it can effectively guarantee one’s personal safety. So many Wizard Apprentices turned the bas.e.m.e.nt into their personal laboratory. Angel has no plans soon to renovate his bas.e.m.e.nt. He came to the bas.e.m.e.nt because there was a side door with a small quiet room about two or three square meters wide.
Angel’s destination is this quiet room.
In the narrow, quiet room, it is easiest to achieve silence. Which is helpful for Angel’s first meditation.
… …
His first attempt at meditation didn’t go well. Even with the special techniques in Sanders notes, he had been unable to meditate.
The first step in meditation is to imagine the mental force model in one’s own mind. Imagination and construction are two different concepts, but there is a deep connection between the two practices. Imagining the mental force model will help better construct the mental force model, and one must have a preliminary concept of the model for it to be constructed anyways.
This process, although ostensibly imaginative, is actually intended to help feel mental force and guide it.
Mental force is an abstract concept, and if one wants to materialize it, one must gain awareness of its existence. How can one perceive mental force? One does so by imagining the mental force model in their mind, and at the same time, locating the mental force attracted by the mental force model.
That is, imagine the mental force model, and at the same time locate the mental force.
But when one thinks about the mental force model. One should not focus on the model, but feel another force in the brain, the mental force.
This method is a great test of concentration because when one imagines a pattern, they will inevitably focus on it. It is very difficult to focus all one’s attention on both aspects at the same time.
This process is very similar to a famous psychological test on Earth: The Pink Elephant.
A psychologist told subjects that there was a pink elephant in the house, and then told the subjects, “Don’t think about the pink elephant.”
But the result is often that when the subject learns the message about the “pink elephant.” When he or she empties their mind, they end up with an irrepressible and involuntary image of a pink elephant in their own mind.
The test is like the Wizard meditation process: the more you want to distract yourself, the harder it is to distract yourself. This is typical interference by messy thinking. In order to forget the object of interference. One must achieve the stillness of body, mind and spirit, and then gradually shift attention into the state of “emptiness.”
This is a very difficult process. The thinking of ordinary people is so complicated and messy. If one wants to be completely clear-headed, it is a process that needs perseverance.
It is precisely because of this that entering a state of emptiness requires absolute silence. This is why Wizards are mostly a lonely and wise group.
Of course, if one practices this method to a high level, one will end up having less baggage in their minds. “Absolute silence” can be replaced by “relative silence.” To reach this kind of state, one must be at least at the level of formal Wizard. Even if one meditates in the middle of a bustling city, one will be unaffected by the hustle and bustle and can enter a meditative state quickly. This is “body tranquillity” by separation from the body. There is also stillness of heart and spirit to reach the realm of “mind tranquillity.”
As for the higher “spiritual tranquillity.” The conditions to reach this state are even more harsh.
…
For a week in a row, Angel couldn’t really get into a state of meditation. There was absolute silence, but his mind was too busy. When he closed his eyes and wants to enter a state of meditation. All kinds of demons, monsters and miscellaneous thoughts on the surface of his mind seem to want hold a party in his brain. In order to make him aware of them. The constant chatter presses both sides of his temples until no gap was left. This chaos was almost impossible to defend against.
Not to mention imagining his mental force model, it takes Angel’s tremendous willpower to keep his mind from running off like a stallion.
It was only then that Angel realized just how disorganized his mind truly was.
Angel is not the only one who is stuck at this first hurdle of entry. This year’s talents have also received their guidance methods from their respective mentors. But the guidance methods are very popular and well known guidance methods. Probably at the same level as the < Triangle guidance method >. They, like Angel, were baffled by this first hurdle. In particular, the adult talents which are used to a colourful life filled with dogs and horses. When they want to let their minds completely quiet down. They need to spend a bit more energy.
On the contrary, although Shalem is only one year younger than Angel. His mind is so pure that when he closes his eyes and meditates. There were very few messy thoughts in his mind. Allowing him to achieve the separation of imagination and concentration in a short period.
Shalem’s success stimulated Angel to work harder. In the next half a month, he simply would not leave his door at all. He would just sit at home all day and meditate, believing that success could be achieved through hard work.
During this time, Sanders did not take the initiative to reach out to him. He must also be aware of the difficulties from beginning the meditation process.
A few days later, Angel gained a deeper understanding of meditation. But meditation is a gradual step-by-step process, and Angel didn’t want to accomplish it overnight. Now, the most important task to solve first: Get rid of all distractions.
It took him a week to do so.
Then the second step is to imagine the mental model and Locate Mental Force.
Three days later, Angel has gained a preliminary understanding on how to achieve the separation of imagination and concentration. His Singularity Scattering mental force model needs to be slowly reflected into his mind and turned into instinct. Then there will be no distractions. At that point, it will be much easier to sense mental force…
However, it is not easy to turn an imaginary mental force model into instinct.
Another week pa.s.sed by, Angel’s meditation is still fumbling along. Although he can’t completely separate imagination from concentration. Sometimes when he thinks about the mental force model in his mind. His attention can occasionally be drawn out to focus on the search for mental force.
Although this phenomenon occurs only occasionally, it also doubles Angel’s confidence.
Chance can become occasions, occasions can become often and often can become forever. However, this process requires a lot of grinding, which requires sustained and unrelenting persistence.
Over the past half month, Angel’s progress has gradually kept pace, ranking first among the talents in his session. This is because his talent is truly good, and secondly, because of the magic power gathering array in Apprentice Town.
Shalem has been searching for his mental force for the past half month. But like Angel, his mental force couldn’t be located by any means, as if it didn’t exist at all.
Angel and Shalem have discussed it with each other privately, but after their exchange, they still ended up with nothing.
As for Nausica, she hasn’t been seen leaving her room for a long time. According to Shalem, Nausica is still fighting against many messy thoughts in her mind. Even smoking had become a rare indulgence.
After hearing this, Angel muttered, “In fact, I think she might have a higher chance at success rate if she were smoking.” Because Angel thinks back to whenever Nausica was smoking. She becomes very quiet, and her expression also becomes serene and genial. According to his half-month experience with her. Being in this state of mind is when it is easiest for someone to get rid of complicated or messy thoughts.
…
It was hard to draw his attention away from his imagination. In any case, there was no sign of mental force, which made Angel a little impatient.
Another half a month had pa.s.sed by, and now it was the month of cold. In another month, he will have been away from home for a whole year.
His five-year appointment with mentor Jon has almost pa.s.sed by one-fifth, and he had not even entered the door as an apprentice yet, which made him even more anxious.
On this day, after Angel meditated. There was still had no sign of mental force. After thinking about it, he decided to head to Phantom Island to ask Sanders.
Taking a smooth journey all the way to Phantom Island, he met Sanders.
But Sanders’s reply made Angel a little confused. Sanders appreciates Angel’s current progress in spiritual practice. As for how mental force is to be located, Sanders has only four words: Grind stone like water.
Haste makes waste.
Angel knows this too, but he’s really in a hurry.
When Angel left Phantom Island, he unexpectedly met Flora. Angel’s eyes lit up and he decided to ask Flora if there was any better way.
The answer given by Flora is exactly the same as Sanders.
Nevertheless, Flora looked at Angel’s impatient expression and said. “I don’t know why you’re in a hurry, but there’s nothing I can do about it. One person may know, but it is not easy to pull something substantial out from their mouth.”