Chapter 26: Shrinking the Ground to an Inch

Three days later.

Lu Yang was clad in a close-fitting outfit, his back straight, and his face beamed with excitement, having finally memorized the content of the golden paper.

“Recite it for me,” she said.

“Thousand-mile existence, currently as if, releasing it to recover…” Lu Yang recited it fluently, without a single pause, clearly having committed the content to memory.

Yun Zhi nodded. The incantation was obscure, each word imbued with profound meaning, and reciting it was extremely taxing on one's spiritual energy. Lu Yang’s ability to memorize it to this extent clearly demonstrated his dedication.

“This incantation is merely an introductory guide,” she explained. “In the early stages, when you’re not proficient with the spell, silently reciting it will help you succeed. Once you master the ‘Shrinking the Ground to an Inch’ spell later on, this incantation will become obsolete.”

“‘Shrinking the Ground to an Inch’ is a spatial spell. It’s a bit early for you to learn it, but since you are Master’s disciple, and Master learned this spell at your current cultivation level, perhaps you can too.”

“The most crucial aspect of practicing spatial spells is safety. Should space become dislocated, you risk being dismembered or cut in half. Thus, there’s an unwritten rule in the cultivation world that when practicing spatial spells, an elder proficient in spatial arts must always be present to provide guidance.”

Yun Zhi became uncharacteristically serious. Seeing this, Lu Yang also put away his smile and listened attentively to Yun Zhi’s instruction.

“The principle of the ‘Shrinking the Ground to an Inch’ spell is to compress a vast expanse of land into a mere inch. The caster can then easily step over it, traversing immense distances to reach another location. The more proficient you become, the larger the area of land you can shrink, and the greater the distance you can cross. Upon mastering it, even the vast Central Continent won't impede your steps.”

“It's important to note that practicing spells requires insight. You’ve never encountered spatial spells before, so you must be mentally prepared for either success or failure.”

“Cultivators should remain unperturbed by favor or disgrace, and avoid excessive joy or sorrow.”

Yun Zhi taught Lu Yang through both words and example, sharing her own cultivation experiences.

Lu Yang nodded, thinking that Senior Sister was the most qualified to say this. He had never seen her display any strong emotional fluctuations.

He, however, was lacking in this regard.

Initially, Lu Yang thought Senior Sister had no emotions because she always wore the same expression. But after spending more time with her, he realized she did have emotional fluctuations, albeit very subtle ones.

Now, Lu Yang had a certain probability of discerning Senior Sister’s mood by her subtle facial expressions.

Like now… hmm, he couldn't tell.

“Let me demonstrate first,” Yun Zhi said.

Unaware of Lu Yang’s thoughts, Yun Zhi threw a red flag towards the distant mountaintop. Before Lu Yang could even clearly see it, she took a light step, vanishing in one instant and reappearing in the next, holding the red flag in her hand.

“It's like this,” she said. “Once you succeed, practice a few more times, and you’ll be as proficient as me.”

Lu Yang stood dumbfounded, blinking, then blinking again.

What just happened?

In Lu Yang's eyes, Yun Zhi seemed to throw the flag and then casually retrieve it. He hadn't even seen if the flag landed on the opposite mountain, and there was absolutely no sign that she had used any spell.

Yun Zhi rarely frowned, but now she did. She recalled that when her Master had taught her, he had demonstrated it in the same way, and she had learned it in one go.

Fearing Lu Yang didn't understand, Yun Zhi demonstrated it again.

So she threw the flag, stepped forward, and returned, all in one smooth motion, leaving Lu Yang utterly bewildered.

“…”

Sure enough, even Senior Sister could be unreliable sometimes. Learning something like this truly depended on oneself.

Lu Yang met Senior Sister’s gaze. This time, he could discern her mood.

She was hoping he could master it.

But Senior Sister, you must know that your teaching skills are so poor, you couldn't teach anyone.

Lu Yang secretly sighed. Senior Sister was clearly no help. He would have to cast the spell based on his own understanding of 'Shrinking the Ground to an Inch'.

“Thousand-mile existence, currently as if, releasing it to recover...” Lu Yang closed his eyes tightly as he formed hand seals and chanted the incantation.

“Shrink the Ground to an Inch!” Lu Yang shouted, and instantly, his figure vanished. The surroundings shifted, becoming utterly dark, as if he had entered an alternate space.

Lu Yang rejoiced inwardly, delighted that he had succeeded on his very first attempt.

He truly was a genius!

Lu Yang had heard Senior Sister explain that the principle of 'Shrinking the Ground to an Inch' was to twist and fold space, allowing the caster to travel through an alternate dimension. This dimension formed a straight line, enabling one to reach their destination in the shortest possible time.

Just as Lu Yang was about to burst out laughing, he found black substances pouring into his mouth. His body was also trapped by these black substances, making it impossible to move his limbs. Furthermore, the alternate space seemed devoid of air, and he found it exceptionally difficult to breathe.

After a brief but calm moment of thought, he came to a realization:

He had shrunk himself into the ground.

Now, Lu Yang had good news and bad news.

The good news was that he had learned half of 'Shrinking the Ground to an Inch' — specifically, 'Shrinking the Ground'.

The bad news was that he had only learned half.

On the surface, Yun Zhi was at a loss for words. She had watched with her own eyes as Lu Yang cast the spell, then promptly shrank into the ground, seemingly mastering Earth Evasion.

How did a spatial spell veer off into a Five Elements spell?

As the Senior Sister of the Dao Inquiry Sect and the Sect Master’s eldest disciple, Yun Zhi’s cultivation and talent were unparalleled among all disciples in the sect. She could casually devise cultivation methods, master spells with a mere glance, and possessed extraordinary, rarely seen insight. Any genius paled in comparison to her; she was truly formidable.

Even she couldn't comprehend Lu Yang's spellcasting principle.

These were clearly two unrelated spells.

With a muffled pop, Lu Yang cast ‘Shrinking the Ground to an Inch’ again, and his head popped out of the ground, much like a mole emerging from its burrow, making one feel an urge to either hit it with a hammer or step on it.

Lu Yang let out a cough, attempting to dispel the awkwardness.

Even with Lu Yang’s thick skin, he couldn't endure such an awkward situation.

Yun Zhi expressionlessly pulled Lu Yang out of the dirt, shaking off a pile of mud.

It was like pulling up a radish.

“That was an accident just now,” Lu Yang said. “I’ll try again.”

Lu Yang felt he was close to finding the trick.

“Thousand-mile existence, currently as if, releasing it to recover...” Lu Yang again formed hand seals and chanted the incantation, even faster than before.

“Shrink the Ground to an Inch!” Lu Yang shouted, and once again, a transformation occurred.

Yun Zhi was tall, but still half a head shorter than Lu Yang. Normally, Lu Yang would look down at Senior Sister’s head, but now it was different.

Yun Zhi's body seemed to grow taller, and Lu Yang's gaze went from looking down, to looking level, to looking up, eventually straining his neck to gaze upwards.

From Lu Yang's perspective, he couldn't even see Senior Sister's face.

Yun Zhi appeared like a giant supporting the heavens, her head touching the sky, her feet planted on the ground.

“No, wait, I’ve gotten smaller!”

Lu Yang exclaimed, noticing stones on the ground that were now half his height, and realized what had happened.

Lu Yang, now three inches tall, hopped around on the ground, his voice significantly softer than usual.

He had learned a new spell: ‘Becoming an Inch’.

Lu Yang’s talent for spells was equally formidable. A genius like Yun Zhi, when learning ‘Shrinking the Ground to an Inch,’ had only mastered that single spell. Lu Yang, however, had learned both ‘Shrinking the Ground’ and ‘Becoming an Inch’!

Yun Zhi crouched down to observe Lu Yang, her slender brows slightly furrowed, as if she couldn't quite figure out where the mistake had occurred.