Chapter 455: Testing Magic

Lance’s Appraisal skill had never failed before. Even when facing ancient dragons and hellhounds far above his level, he could still identify their information. 

Who was this person before him? Did they have a shielding skill, or was their level beyond Legendary tier?

Lance had never encountered anyone who could block his Appraisal skill. 

Beyond Legendary tier was only the Divine-Demon tier, achievable by gods and the Demon King alone. 

Lance suspected this person might be one of the seven great deities.

“Care to chat?” Jiang Li invited.

“Sure.” Lance responded, his spirits too crushed to refuse. 

Judging by the other’s expression, whether they chatted wasn’t really his decision anyway.

Lance desperately wanted to ask directly about Jiang Li’s identity, but unsure of his temperament, dared not act rashly. 

Seeing Lance’s conflicted expression, Jiang Li chuckled.

“Relax. I’ve just arrived in this world and wanted to chat with someone who caught my eye.”

The implications in Jiang Li’s words did anything but relax Lance.

“You’re… not a god?” Lance unconsciously used honorifics.

“If you define gods as beings who utilize faith power, then I suppose I was one for a time.”

Jiang Li referred to his Tribulation Transcendence Stage period when he drew power from Nine Provinces’ faith.

Lance didn’t understand Jiang Li’s meaning.

As usual, Jiang Li explained the relationships between worlds and the situation of the Nine Provinces World. 

This routine explanation always gave Jiang Li a headache – every new world required these basic clarifications.

Judging by Lance’s dumbfounded expression, he hadn’t fully processed Jiang Li’s words.

No matter how brutally the Outer Realm Demons ravaged Nine Provinces, its foundational knowledge remained intact – awareness of the myriad worlds, and that the Immortal Realm lay beyond them all. 

Other worlds’ inhabitants differed, believing their world was everything.

Lance secretly tried using Appraisal on Jiang Li again.

The appraisal panel showed no information, just one line: “Stop appraising – no results.”

Jiang Li looked at Lance with amusement.

Lance tried once more. This time the text changed: “I told you it wouldn’t work. Why won’t you believe me?”

Now Lance believed Jiang Li completely.

“As a fifth-tier mage, your magic should be decent.”

Lance nodded, not daring to speak before Jiang Li. 

“Decent” was an understatement – fifth-tier mages represented the world’s pinnacle.

“Come, let’s find somewhere for you to demonstrate your world’s magic.”

The moment Lance nodded, they’d already left town and appeared on a vast grassland.

“Space magic?!” Lance exclaimed. Spatial spells were notoriously difficult – even he could only use them for storage, not transportation.

Jiang Li explained seriously: “Correct. This is my unique spatial spell – High-Speed Movement.”

Unity Stage cultivators could grasp basic spatial principles, enabling short-range jumps. However, their understanding remained shallow, potentially distorting space at entry and exit points.

Using spatial movement within the Nine Provinces Continent might kill bystanders near the entry/exit points. 

For safety, Unity Stage cultivators flew conventionally within the continent, only performing light-year leaps in outer space.

Jiang Li similarly reserved space-tearing for cosmic travel. 

Only Venerable Sumeru Buddha and Brahma Tower could safely use spatial movement within Nine Provinces.

Jiang Li gestured for Lance to begin.

“Silent Lord of Earth, benevolent deity who comprehends mountain transformations, heed my call! Lift your boundless chest, grant me greater magic, and bury my enemies!”

Two hemispherical mounds rose from the ground, rumbling as they merged into a complete sphere. 

Any enemy caught between would be crushed by two small mountains – quite impressive power.

“Not bad.” Jiang Li casually pressed the mounds back into flat ground.

Lance had never seen anyone reverse terrain changes: “My Earth Sunder is famous for permanently altering landscapes!”

Jiang Li mused that this barely qualified as terrain alteration – back in Nine Provinces, Commander Liu wouldn’t even need to update maps.

“Does all your magic require such lengthy incantations?” Jiang Li found it tedious.

Lance flushed: “Not exactly. With a staff, incantations shorten. But I left all my gear with the Hero Party in anger.”

Jiang Li purchased a staff from the system shop and handed it over.

“Try again.”

“Silent Earth Deity, bury my enemies – Earth Sunder!”

This time the casting was noticeably faster.

“Is there magic without incantations?”

“None. Even the simplest Wind Guide requires chanting.”

“God of Wind, reveal your power – Wind Guide!”

A small whirlwind spun from Lance’s fingertip.

“Even advanced spells like Wind Blade derived from Wind Guide need incantations.”

“Great Wind Deity! Lend your strength to test the path ahead – Wind Blade!”

The resulting wind blade couldn’t even cut Jiang Li’s hair.

Jiang Li stroked his chin: “Magic differs from cultivation techniques. Cultivators channel energy through set internal pathways to cast spells, requiring physical conditioning. Magic borrows divine power, manipulating ambient spiritual energy through incantations that strengthen faith resonance.”

“Faith power permeates the air. Your mental energy and voice resonate with it, helping manipulate surrounding spiritual energy.”

“Exactly. Mental energy determines our advancement.”

After pondering, Jiang Li produced a recorder and played Lance’s incantation.

Unfortunately, the recorder merely recorded – no wind blades appeared.

“Let me try.”

“Wind—”

A single syllable from Jiang Li created a colossal wind blade that split the clouds, tore through the sky, and dissipated in space.

Jiang Li laughed: “The Wind God’s quite accommodating – one word suffices.”

Lance gaped – this was the most powerful wind blade he’d ever witnessed.

Legendary-tier Wind Blade?

Unknown to Lance, had space contained air to form wind, Jiang Li’s casual slash could have cleaved multiple planets. 

The only cost was completely draining nearby spiritual energy.

“How do you acquire skills?”

“Through prayer. Different deities grant different skills. Some require multiple deities’ blessings – like Wind Blade needing the Wind God, or spatial magic requiring four deities’ approval.”

“More deities involved means harder skill mastery.”

“My Appraisal skill required seven deities’ blessings.”

The more Lance explained, the more confused he became – how had Jiang Li learned Wind Blade then?