Chapter 101: The Difference Between Shrinking the Earth into an Inch and Teleportation

Li Yunfei’s expression shifted slightly. The opponent’s ability to manipulate two magical treasures simultaneously with such fluid agility was proving to be quite troublesome.

The magical treasures of the yellow weasel demons were forged from parts of their own bodies, making them essentially extensions of themselves. Whether wielding two, three, or even five or six, they could control them as naturally as a person moves their own hands and feet; the moment a thought arose, the action followed.

In contrast, the magical treasures belonging to Li Yunfei and Honghong had not been refined in such a way. They could not be controlled at will through mere thought; instead, each required focused mental energy to command. This distinction was akin to the difference between a remote-controlled aircraft and one steered directly by one’s own consciousness. No matter how proficient one’s technical skill might be with a remote, it could never match the natural ease of direct mental control. Consequently, if Li Yunfei or Honghong were to have their treasures stolen, the new owner could use them immediately, bypassing the need to even erase any lingering spiritual imprints.

Refining a magical treasure requires channeling a sliver of one’s primordial spirit into it to leave an imprint, followed by a period of nourishment until the person and the object become one, inseparable. While the yellow weasel demons’ treasures were literal parts of their bodies, treasures refined through Taoist methods became extensions of the practitioner's soul, equally inseparable.

It was not that Li Yunfei lacked knowledge of these refinement methods; he simply felt it unnecessary. Firstly, his weapons and treasures were replaced frequently, and he had yet to encounter anything powerful enough to warrant the effort. Secondly, he lacked the leisure to spend time nurturing weapons, as he spent his days solely focused on finding dungeons to level up. The Purple Gold Hammers and the Blood-Thirsting Flying Sword he currently possessed were only acquired today; he had had no time to refine them. After this dungeon, he would have to set aside time to refine a few items to avoid being caught in such a flustered, suppressed state again.

The Yellow Immortal’s two dagger-treasures were already upon him; it was too late to call back the Purple Gold Hammers for defense. Li Yunfei had no choice but to release his focus on the hammers and instead command his Blood-Thirsting Flying Sword, which spun rapidly before him like a propeller, forming a defensive screen of blades.

*Clang! Clang!*

Using the blade-screen as a shield, Li Yunfei parried left and right, holding off the daggers. They struck the spinning sword, emitting two crisp metallic sounds before bouncing away, only to carve arcs through the air and attack from new angles. If he allowed the Yellow Immortal to dictate the rhythm of the fight, counterattacking would become exceedingly difficult.

Moreover, the Yellow Immortal likely still held two claw-blade treasures in reserve. Engaging in a long-range battle of magical treasures was highly unwise. With no other choice, Li Yunfei retreated, flipping backward off the earthen platform while simultaneously sending a mental command to the skeleton warriors.

Honghong faced the same predicament, as she too was under attack from two claw-blade treasures. Her opponent, knowing the lethality of her Purple Gold Hammers, avoided direct contact, nimbly bypassing the hammers to launch a fierce assault on her. She, too, had to rely on her Blood-Thirsting Flying Sword to hold the line.

It was a pity that the innate skill she had unlocked at level 40 was "Shrinking the Earth to an Inch" rather than "Teleportation," otherwise she could have appeared directly behind her opponent to deliver a killing blow. While the two skills might seem to share a similar effect, they were fundamentally different: one shortened distance, while the other was spatial displacement. "Shrinking the Earth to an Inch" compressed the distance between two points, allowing one to traverse a vast space in a single step. However, it remained a physical process of moving from one point to another across that space. If a wall or obstacle stood in the way, the skill would fail, as one would simply hit the barrier.

Teleportation, however, was a form of spatial jumping. It involved opening a hole at two points in space and passing through the void between them, reaching the destination instantly. While there might be a transit process, it occurred within a "spatial tunnel" that did not interact with reality, meaning physical obstacles could not impede it. In terms of effectiveness, teleportation was clearly superior. Taoist arts like the "Great Shift of Form and Shadow" or the "Grand Teleportation" belonged to the realm of spatial jumping—advanced versions of "Shrinking the Earth to an Inch"—but unfortunately, neither Honghong nor Li Yunfei had mastered them yet.

"Shrinking the Earth to an Inch" was primarily used for travel rather than combat, with its effective range determined by the reach of one’s spiritual sense. As long as one’s spiritual sense could reach a location without physical obstruction, the skill could be successfully executed. At that moment, a chaotic battle between the skeleton warriors and the elite monsters stood between Honghong and the Yellow Immortal, preventing her from using the skill to close the distance; she had no choice but to dodge.

Below, the skeleton warriors could not manipulate treasures, yet they were far more composed than Li Yunfei or Honghong when facing them. Their combat instincts were terrifyingly sharp; no matter how devious the angles of the treasures, they could precisely knock them aside with their longswords. While parrying, they even found opportunities to slay the elite monsters swarming them.

Upon receiving Li Yunfei’s mental command, the skeletons quickly converged. Eight of them formed a circle, each covering a specific direction of attack. The remaining nine, sheltered within the defensive perimeter, leaped into the air, drew a Purple Gold Hammer from their waists with their left hands, and hurled them toward the stone platform where the Yellow Immortal stood.

With the strength of the skeleton warriors, the flying speed of the hammers was no slower than those controlled by Li Yunfei or Honghong’s spiritual sense. The Yellow Immortal’s pupils constricted, and he shouted, "Evade!"

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Nine flashes of purple lightning struck in succession. The earthen platform vanished almost instantly, exploding into a cloud of soil. Yet, the Yellow Immortal and the four sub-bosses remained unscathed; their high agility had served them well. The skeleton warriors continued to rain down the hammers, creating a scene like a cluster-bombing artillery barrage, yet they could not land a hit on the Yellow Immortal or his lieutenants.

However, this tactic bought Li Yunfei and Honghong the time they needed to recalibrate, as the Yellow Immortal and his lieutenants were forced to prioritize defense over offense. Li Yunfei now realized with grim clarity that relying solely on a battle of magical treasures to defeat the Yellow Immortal and his four lieutenants was entirely unrealistic. They were, after all, transformation-level monsters; the difficulty of dealing with them was incomparable to any previous dungeon monsters.

It was fortunate that he possessed a diverse array of techniques. Had he been a cultivator who relied purely on flying swords and magical treasures, this dungeon might well have ended in a "Game Over."

Landing on the ground, Li Yunfei formed hand seals and chanted, "Heaven and Earth, Wood of the Southeast, ensnare all evil, obey the law with haste!"

Thorny wooden vines erupted from the ground one after another, coiling toward the Yellow Immortal and his lieutenants like pythons. Li Yunfei’s hand seals changed rapidly, and without a moment’s pause, he chanted again, "Heaven and Earth, Thunder of the East, shatter and subdue ghosts and gods, obey the law with haste!"

*Boom! Boom!*

The radiance of the Zhen hexagram flared, and bolts of lightning as thick as an adult's thigh descended from the heavens, raining down upon the Yellow Immortal and his lieutenants. With these triple-pronged attacks coming from the sky, the ground, and the front, the Yellow Immortal and his subordinates were suddenly overwhelmed, struggling just to survive with no time left to launch an active assault.