Divine Realm's Radiance

Suye visited the other teachers' offices, asking about all the preview material for tomorrow's classes, before heading back to the classroom.

"Nothing wrong, right?" Hote asked.

"Nothing's wrong! I'm fine!" Suye said.

"What did you go to the teachers for?"

"You'll know before school ends."

"Oh." Hote relaxed.

During the last class, Niedern appeared at the podium and said, "Everyone, follow me outside. Meditation Class will be on the lawn." He then walked out.

The students, cooped up all day, were thrilled to hear they'd be outdoors and quickly filed out.

"Finally, this feels like Plato Academy. I heard that when Master Plato first founded the academy, he taught while walking!"

"Yeah, that's the Plato Academy we long for."

"Don't get your hopes up. If Master Plato had to teach hundreds of students at once, he couldn't walk and teach either—it's not like herding sheep."

Suye followed the group to a quiet patch of lawn.

Niedern stood before them and said, "Everyone, pick a spot and sit down. The goal of this class isn't to teach you meditation, but to guide you into experiencing it. I know some of you have already tried meditation, but I hope you'll still follow my instructions."

The students sat according to their class seating arrangement.

Pallas sat beside Suye again, her back straight and tall like a proud swan.

Suye glanced at her, feeling she was even more arrogant than usual, with an air of Sure Win.

"Looks like she's already mastered meditation..."

Suye also looked at Rolon, who wore a similarly carefree expression.

Most of the students were excited.

Suye opened his notebook and looked at Niedern.

Niedern said, "Before we begin meditation, I'll block your vision and prevent you from speaking, to give you a better experience. If you encounter any problems during meditation, raise your hand, and I'll handle it."

"Now, everyone sit in a comfortable position. Remember, sit—don't lie down. This is Meditation Class, not Sleep Class."

Many students laughed.

"You might be lucky enough to see the starry sky during this meditation, with a few or dozens of cracks in it, shining down light. Don't be afraid—that's the Realm Barrier. Though you haven't had basic magic lessons yet, you've all heard that the world we live in can be called the Human Realm, while the world where the gods live is called the Divine Realm. The Divine Realm is where gods are born, so it's filled with powerful energy."

"The origins of those cracks are debated—some say they're remnants of the great war among the gods, others say Prometheus left them for humanity. In any case, the light shining through those cracks is the power of the Divine Realm. The purpose of meditation is to enter that light and absorb its power. Warriors can continuously refine their divine bloodlines, using them to stay in long-term contact with the Divine Realm's light and absorb power endlessly. Mages are different—without divine bloodlines, they can only absorb power during meditation."

"If any of you see the Divine Realm's light, don't panic or get excited. Use your mind to sense those lights and find the one that attracts you most. The lights are at varying distances from us, and Master Thales said: the farther, the stronger, but also the more dangerous. If you're confident in your talent, you can choose the farthest light you can reach, but you'll also take on great risk. If you're not confident, pick the closest light. Close lights are used by many, but they're very safe."

"Of course, you can also choose lights that are neither too close nor too far. In the end, it's all up to you. If you can't decide, give up on choosing, study or ask a teacher, and make your choice after you have an answer."

"Most of us might not see the Divine Realm's light, but don't worry—as long as we keep training and learning, we'll find our own Divine Realm light! Alright, if anyone has questions, ask now."

The curious students immediately started asking questions.

Suye glanced at Hote.

Hote, used to this kind of look, understood and said gloomily, "I actually tried meditation two years ago, but I've never seen the Divine Realm's light."

"Don't be Discouraged—as long as you work hard, you'll definitely advance to apprentice!" Suye said.

"I hope so," Hote said.

Suye listened to the lesson while jotting down key points, not writing full sentences.

Soon, Teacher Niedern said, "Alright, everyone find a comfortable position and sit down. Next, I'll use magic to seal your mouths and eyes."

Suye was full of anticipation, eager to know if the meditation he'd learned would work in this world.

If it did, his meditation efficiency would be at least twice that of an ordinary student! Niedern, in his gray robe, raised his right hand. With a slight movement of his index finger, the emerald ring on it emitted a faint green light, instantly enveloping the entire area.

Suye's vision went pitch black, and his throat and mouth went numb.

In that moment, even though he was prepared, a trace of unease crept in.

This was his first time feeling the power of magic.

"I see someone is nervous. Don't panic—we're still sitting on the grass, and I won't leave you. Now, follow my words and use your imagination. Imagine yourself on a sandy beach on an autumn afternoon, with warm sunlight pouring down and soft, fine sand beneath you. Across from us is the blue Aegean Sea, seagulls calling softly, a gentle sea breeze, and the salty scent of seawater drifting in your nose. Gentle waves lap against the shore, making a rustling sound..."

Hearing Niedern's guided meditation, Suye felt a hint of resistance.

There were many ways to meditate. After studying mindfulness in psychology on Blue Star, Suye had specifically set aside a weekend, turned off all electronics, refused to communicate with anyone, and stayed home to try various meditation methods.

There were methods that involved imagining or transforming into external objects, like mountain meditation, starry sky meditation, lake meditation, snow-sweeping method, swimming fish method, and so on.

There were loving-kindness meditations that stirred emotions.

There were self-aware five-sense meditations, including touch meditation, visual meditation, auditory meditation, olfactory meditation, and taste meditation, as well as barefoot walking meditation.

And there was the most basic breath meditation.

Suye tried dozens of meditation methods but ultimately found that imagining external objects did nothing for him.

After repeated thought and comparison, combined with some relevant knowledge, Suye finally understood that different people have different "perceptual models" of the outside world. Not only meditation methods, but even the definition of meditation itself varies from person to person.

Through constant experimentation, Suye discovered that the meditation methods best suited to him were those related to the body, such as five-sense meditation, barefoot walking meditation, and full-body scan meditation.

In the end, Suye chose the most basic breath meditation, combined with full-body scan meditation.