Chapter 36 Changes in the Mental Realm
"Swish—swish—"
The rain grew heavier.
The heavy, dark clouds pressed ever lower, with flashes of light intermittently within, seemingly unending.
Lightning streaked across the sky in chains!
Worsening weather seemed to mirror Lin Beichen's deteriorating mood.
Lin Beichen had been trying to gain insight, but always felt he was just short of reaching that state.
This feeling, as if it were within reach yet miles away, was the most frustrating!
His mood grew more irritable, his mind increasingly chaotic!
No one knew how much time had passed.
Just when he was about to snap.
Suddenly!
He heard a series of loud, majestic voices.
"The Tao is infinite, yet it can be utilized without being exhausted. Deep like the progenitor of all things; profound, seemingly existent..."
It was the voices of Daoist masters from the Celestial Master's Mansion chanting!
Lin Beichen had always been in a state of undistracted focus, not sensitive to external perceptions; the chanting naturally filtered out.
But now...
The chanting seemed to appear at his ears, or perhaps directly in his mind!
In his current state, he couldn't tell where it emerged from, but the location was irrelevant; what mattered was...
The appearance of the chanting interrupted his recent bout of negativity.
Looking at the scenery before him, his heart began to stabilize and calm.
"Rarely speaks naturally. Therefore, gusting winds don't last all day, and sudden rains don't last all night. Who causes this? Heaven and Earth. Even Heaven and Earth cannot last long..."
The chanting did not vanish.
Initially, Lin Beichen thought he might be on the brink of enlightenment, but soon realized...
The chanting did nothing to aid his understanding of the Thunder Skill!
It merely became part of his perception.
Not filtered out, that's all!
In other words, listening to Daoist chanting, Buddhist scriptures, or certain music can indeed help adjust one's mood.
That's the only function.
At this moment, Lin Beichen's mental realm felt a sudden inexplicable sensation surging to his crown!
Instantly!
Wind, rain, thunder, chanting...
All sounds seemed magnified!
Lin Beichen was immersed within, yet felt detached from this realm.
Unknown when.
The wind did not cease, rain did not stop, thunder did not fade.
Wind, rain, thunder remained, but the chanting from the Celestial Master's Mansion no longer echoed atop the mountain.
"There's a form, vague and complete, born before Heaven and Earth. Silent and empty, standing alone, unchanging; it moves, yet doesn't fade..."
He looked at the mountains, the rain, and seemed to still hear the chanting in his ears.
This scene, feeling overwhelmingly tranquil!
In a daze!
The mountains seemed small, the rain tender, and the heavy, low clouds felt like they were high up in the heavens!
In his view...
The world appeared broader!
"Even with heaven-defying comprehension..."
"It's not easy to defy fate!"
"Creating a cultivation method is like crossing a river by feeling for stones. Rushing too hastily will lead to a dead end. Following one's nature and fate, one can reach the other shore, enjoying the journey immensely!"
"..."
Lin Beichen's perspective broadened, his mental realm achieved enlightenment!
This journey to Dragon Tiger Mountain was not in vain; listening to the Daoist chanting, although offering no help to studying the Thunder Skill, greatly enriched Lin Beichen's mental realm.
Furthermore, his entire demeanor had changed significantly.
This was partly due to cultivation, and partly due to changes in his mental realm.
The thunderstorm gradually subsided.
He held an oil-paper umbrella, standing at the edge of the Observation Platform, feeling the mountain wind brush his face, his hair swaying, lightning darting across the sky, the switch between light and dark making this moment seem timeless!
Transcending the mundane!
Meanwhile.
Down at the plaza below the Observation Platform.
"Has he been standing there for a long time? From my recollection, since the Daoist masters of the Celestial Master's Mansion began chanting, he has been standing there. What is he doing there?"
"Coming here in this weather, he must be here to hear the Daoist masters chant, right? Can he hear them clearly from there?"
"Maybe he's just enjoying the scenery; is the view there really so enchanting? Maybe we should go up and take a look too!"
"..."
Many noticed Lin Beichen standing atop the Observation Platform.
The vast Observation Platform had only one standing figure; anyone looking up at the mountain top couldn't help but notice him.
And with just one look...
Lin Beichen's aura inexplicably drew their gaze to linger on him.
Anyone seeing Lin Beichen for the first time felt an inexplicable sense of ease and freedom emanating from him, uplifting their own moods.
At that moment, a crisp voice rang out at the entrance of the Celestial Master's Mansion: "Grandpa, look, that big brother is still there!" freēwēbηovel.c૦m
A little girl, holding an elderly man's hand, pointed to Lin Beichen on the Observation Platform with her other hand.
After leaving the Celestial Master's Mansion with her grandpa post-chanting, she instinctively looked towards the Observation Platform and saw the same figure she'd noticed before entering the mansion.
"He... he seems... seems..."
At that moment, the little girl seemed to rummage through all the words in her mind, unable to find the right one to express her feeling.
After struggling for a while, she finally said, "He seems like an elusive master!"
"You watch too much TV, talking about elusive masters!"
The elderly man lovingly patted the little girl's head, his gaze remaining fixed on Lin Beichen, silently sharing the sentiment of others captivated by his unique aura.
"Raising the cup, white eyes gazing at the blue sky, as graceful as jade trees facing the wind!"
The elderly man had a deep impression of the youth he'd encountered three times among the vast sea of people.
Indeed, his aura was extraordinary, with a special elegance.
At that moment.
Not only did he see it, but everyone looking at the Observation Platform saw it too.
A Daoist master, about seventy years old, with neatly tied silver hair under a wide-brimmed hat, dressed in a faded navy Daoist robe, descended the pathway beside the Observation Platform and approached the youth holding the oil-paper umbrella.
"The Celestial Master Guan?"
Many instantly recognized the Daoist master!
The Celestial Master Guan was currently the most respected Celestial Master in the Celestial Master's Mansion at Dragon Tiger Mountain, the former Sect Leader of the mansion, and the mentor of the current Sect Leader!
What did the Celestial Master intend to do?
Under their curious gazes.
The Celestial Master Guan approached Lin Beichen from behind.
At that moment, the Celestial Master Guan extended his hand intending to lightly pat Lin Beichen's shoulder, but halfway through, he smiled and retracted his hand, simply standing behind Lin Beichen.
Lin Beichen gazed at the mountains beyond, the Celestial Master Guan watched Lin Beichen.
One in front, one behind, one young, one old, one tall, one short.
The two standing in the rain, surrounded by mountains, clouds, and mist, formed a natural painting of mountain river rain scenery.
No one knew how long it lasted.
The rain stopped, clouds dispersed.
The first ray of sunlight pierced through the rising mist, shining upon Lin Beichen.
Finally, at that moment, Lin Beichen snapped out of his inexplicable mental state.
"Phew—"
He exhaled deeply, releasing all the pent-up frustration, feeling refreshed and relaxed!
Though this observation of thunder and rain didn't advance his Thunder Skill and he couldn't clear the electricity on his body, he wasn't disappointed because he clearly felt a significant improvement in his mental realm!
He also realized that haste in cultivation leads to failure; he needed to maintain a calm mindset and avoid rushing.
Everything has its destiny, including cultivation.
"It wasn't a wasted trip after all!"
Lin Beichen could feel that his enhanced mental realm would provide a profound, albeit indirect, benefit to his future creation of Thunder Skill!
Though it hasn't fully manifested yet.
Seeing the sky clear.
He decided not to continue viewing the scenery but intended to wander inside the Celestial Master's Mansion.