Chapter 30: Shrinking Earth into Inches
Chapter 30: Shrinking Earth into Inches
Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii
Three days later.
Lu Yang, dressed in a tight outfit and standing tall, wore an excited smile on his face for finally memorizing the contents of the golden paper.
"Recite it for me."
"Thousands of miles exist, right before my eyes, released and then retracted..." Lu Yang recited fluently without a pause, clearly showing that he had deeply memorized the content.
Yun Zhi nodded, noting that the mantra was esoteric, with profound meanings in every word. The act of reciting it consumed a lot of mental energy, and Lu Yang's ability to recite it to this extent proved his dedication.
"This mantra is an introduction. When you're not familiar with the spell, recite it in your mind to help you succeed. Once you can use Shrinking Earth into Inches proficiently, you won't need this mantra anymore."
"Shrinking Earth into Inches is a space spell. It's a bit early for you to practice it, but since you're a disciple of our master, and he learned this spell at your level, perhaps you can too."
"The most important thing in practicing a space spell is safety. If the space is misplaced, it can result in being cut in half. That's why there's an unwritten rule in the cultivation world: when practicing a space spell, there must be an expert in space nearby to guide you."
Yun Zhi became serious, and Lu Yang, seeing this, also became solemn and listened carefully.
"The principle of the spell is to shrink the land to the size of an inch, allowing the practitioner to easily step over it and traverse vast distances. The more proficient you are, the larger the area you can shrink and the longer the distance you can cross. When fully mastered, even the vast Central Continent can't hinder your steps."
"Be prepared that practicing this spell requires insight. You've never been exposed to space spells, so be prepared whether you succeed or not."
"Cultivators should not be swayed by extreme joy or sorrow."
Yun Zhi imparted her cultivation experience to Lu Yang.
Lu Yang nodded, feeling that his senior sister was the most qualified to say this. He had never seen her with any strong emotional fluctuations.
He was lacking in this aspect.
Initially, Lu Yang thought Yun Zhi was emotionless due to her constant expression, but later realized she did have emotional fluctuations, albeit very subtle.
Now, he could sometimes discern her mood from her subtle expressions.
Like now... uh, he couldn't figure it out.
"I'll demonstrate it for you first."
Unaware of Lu Yang's thoughts, Yun Zhi threw a red flag to a mountain peak opposite them. Before Lu Yang could see clearly, she stepped forward, disappearing and reappearing, holding the red flag in her hand.
"Just like that. Practice a few more times after you succeed, and you can be as proficient as me."
Lu Yang stood dumbfounded, blinking his eyes repeatedly.
What just happened?
In his eyes, it seemed like Yun Zhi just threw the red flag and then casually picked it up again. Whether the flag even landed on the opposite mountain peak was unclear. There were no signs of using a spell.
Yun Zhi rarely frowned, recalling that her master taught her the same way, and she learned it in one go.
Worried that Lu Yang didn't understand, she demonstrated again.
Throwing the flag, stepping forward, and returning - all in one smooth motion, leaving Lu Yang utterly confused.
"..."
Indeed, even his senior sister had unreliable moments. Learning seemed to be a matter of personal effort after all.
Meeting Yun Zhi's gaze, Lu Yang could now read her mood.
She had high expectations for him.
But senior sister, you should know that with your teaching level, no one could learn from you.
Lu Yang sighed secretly. He could no longer rely on his senior sister and started to cast the spell based on his understanding of Shrinking Earth into Inches.
"Thousands of miles exist, right before my eyes, released and then retracted..." Lu Yang closed his eyes, formed hand seals, and recited the mantra while casting the spell.
"Shrinking Earth into Inches!" Lu Yang shouted, and his figure vanished instantly. The surroundings changed into pitch darkness, as if he had fallen into a different space.
Lu Yang was delighted, thinking he had succeeded on his first try.
He was indeed a genius!
Lu Yang had heard from his senior sister that the principle of Shrinking Earth into Inches was to twist and fold space, allowing the caster to walk in an alternate dimension. This dimension was a straight line that enabled one to reach the destination in the shortest time.
Just as Lu Yang was about to burst into laughter, he found himself being engulfed by dark substances pouring into his mouth. His body was also trapped, unable to move his limbs, and it seemed there was no air in this alternate dimension, making it extremely difficult to breathe.
After a brief but calm reflection, he realized one thing:
He had shrunk into the earth.
Now, Lu Yang had good news and bad news.
The good news was he had learned half of Shrinking Earth into Inches — shrinking.
The bad news was that he only learned half.
On the surface, Yun Zhi didn't know what to say. She watched Lu Yang perform the spell, then shrink into the earth, effectively learning the art of Earth Escaping.
Why would a space spell deviate into an elemental spell?
Yun Zhi, as the top disciple and senior sister of the Dao Seeking Sect, was unparalleled in cultivation and innate talent among all disciples of the sect. Her ability to write techniques and learn spells with a single glance was legendary, making any genius pale in comparison.
Even she couldn't comprehend Lu Yang's method of casting.
These were two completely unrelated spells.
With a muffled "pop" sound, Lu Yang used Shrinking Earth into Inches again, sticking his head out of the ground like a mole, prompting an urge to hit or step on him.
Lu Yang coughed, trying to alleviate the awkwardness.
Despite his thick skin, he couldn't handle this level of embarrassment.
Yun Zhi, expressionless, pulled Lu Yang out of the earth and shook off a pile of mud.
Like pulling out a radish.
"That was an accident; I'll try again."
Lu Yang felt he was close to mastering it.
"Thousands of miles exist, right before my eyes, released and then retracted..." He recited the mantra again, faster than before.
"Shrinking Earth into Inches!" Lu Yang shouted, and the change happened again.
Yun Zhi, a tall figure, was slightly shorter than Lu Yang. Usually, Lu Yang could see the top of her head, but now it was different.
She gradually became taller, and Lu Yang's perspective shifted from looking down to looking up, and finally, he had to crane his neck to see her.
He couldn't even see her face from his angle.
Yun Zhi seemed like a giant, touching the sky with her head and stepping on the earth with her feet.
"No, I've become smaller!"
Lu Yang yelled, noticing the half-person-tall stones on the ground, realizing the issue.
Lu Yang, now three inches tall, hopped around on the ground, his voice much softer than before.
He had learned a new spell — shrinking to inches.
Lu Yang's talent in spells was also terrifying. Like Yun Zhi, who learned only the "shrinking" part of Shrinking Earth into Inches, Lu Yang managed to learn both "shrinking" and "inches"!
Yun Zhi squatted down to observe Lu Yang, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, still puzzled about what went wrong in the process.
(End of the chapter)