When Jian Yumei heard that the adept wanted to teach him the skill of earth travel, he was overjoyed.
"Thank you, Master!" he knew that in martial arts circles, anyone who taught you even a little something became your master, and this was the father of fathers, the one who taught martial arts. To you, they were like a master.
"I have recited it, have you remembered it?" the voice began.
Jian Yumei quickly memorized the mantra that he was taught, and the adept also whispered some precautions for earth travel into his ear, which Jian Yumei duly noted.
"That's it, you can ask me anything in the future. My name is Lantian Yu. Just call my name directly, and I will appear by your side!" the adept said.
Jian Yumei knew that the adept's ability to speak to him was similar to the telepathic skill he had heard of before. This skill was indeed real. The adept had seen him from afar at his residence and was now guiding him through telepathy. If he did the same, he could barely manage it, but his skill level was far inferior.
Jian Yumei recited the mantra, and immediately, he felt himself descending into the earth. It was miraculous; there was no soil around him, but he knew for certain that he was already underground. He proceeded in the direction he had randomly chosen earlier. Soon, in the blink of an eye, a voice prompted him that he had arrived at his destination. Jian Yumei thought he would come out first and see where he was.
During his journey, Jian Yumei actually saw soil on both sides, and it seemed that he had also seen some creatures in the soil. He remembered that there were many types of creatures, including snakes and others, some with spirits and some without. Jian Yumei was not afraid of them anymore, as there were few malicious ones like the fox spirit among them, and even if there were, he was no longer afraid with his current abilities.
When Jian Yumei emerged, he was dizzy. Wasn't this his home? He saw his master's house right in front of him, and he seemed to see his senior sister there.
Jian Yumei hurriedly reminded himself that he was delivering a letter and couldn't go home.
He immediately recited the mantra again and quickly burrowed underground. When he came out again, he returned to the place he had just entered.
He heaved a sigh of relief. Jian Yumei found sweat on his forehead. "Don't be nervous. You lack experience in earth travel for the first time. It will be better in the future!" the voice of the adept, Lantian Yu, echoed again.
"Actually, sometimes you don't need to travel underground. Sometimes, you can cover thousands of miles with just a blink!" Lantian Yu said.
"What? You can do that too?" Jian Yumei thought of his master. If that were the case, his master wouldn't know if he went thousands of miles away. No wonder his master often disappeared for a day and returned looking weather-beaten; he must have gone on a long journey.
As Jian Yumei contemplated, Lantian Yu directly told him, "I have another mantra here. If you recite it, you can enter a magical world instantly, and you can go wherever you want in an instant! And with more practice, you won't need the mantra. A single thought will suffice! You can go wherever you want, thousands of miles away. This is the freedom that we cultivators long for! From now on, you will be free!" Lantian Yu said.
"Understood, thank you!" Jian Yumei said.
"Listen carefully!" Lantian Yu began to impart the knowledge, and this time Jian Yumei listened very carefully to each detail.
After listening and memorizing everything, Lantian Yu said to him, "Your current skill level is not enough to travel thousands of miles away, but you can try it. You can recite the mantra and go to your desired destination!"
Thinking of his master's instructions to deliver the letter, Jian Yumei thought, "Well then, I'll set the place I want to go as the place where the adept lives." Jian Yumei followed Lantian Yu's instructions, set the destination, and then stood still. He recited the mantra.
As if in an instant, a great force pulled him in. Jian Yumei found himself in a bright space, feeling as if he had entered another magical realm. Before he could think much about it, in that fleeting moment, he emerged. Before him lay a village, and as he looked back, the mountain he had just been in was now high up in the misty clouds.
"How marvelous, truly marvelous!" Jian Yumei exclaimed.
"These are just minor skills. The universe is vast, and there are many miraculous places! Take your time to learn in the future!" Lantian Yu said. "Well then, go and fulfill the task your master assigned you. Call on me if you need anything in the future!"
"Thank you, Master!" Jian Yumei said respectfully.
Then Jian Yumei walked towards the village, but suddenly remembered something. "Right, Master, can I travel on the wind, or with a sword? Where are the secrets to that skill?"
"You figure it out yourself. Once you understand one method, you understand them all. It's quite simple! If you can't understand, then ask me! But I think you should be able to figure it out!" his master said.
"One method encompasses all methods!" Jian Yumei murmured to himself.
Suddenly, many things seemed to become clear to him. So that's how it is! Jian Yumei felt a wave of joy in his heart.
He walked forward with brisk steps, and at the village entrance, he saw a person.
There was also a group of children surrounding him, playing in a special way.
The children were clamoring for candy. "We want candy, delicious candy! Grandpa, give us some!" the children shouted.
"Alright, alright, there's enough for everyone!" the old man with white hair and beard smiled.
Then he waved his hand, and wow, many candies appeared on it.
"Great! Let's eat, everyone!" the children shouted loudly.
"This candy is delicious. I've had it before. It's the milk candy from Shanghai's White Rabbit brand!" a child said.
"Wang Erbao, is it the candy your dad brought back from Shanghai for you to eat?" another asked.
"Yes, this candy is so delicious. I haven't had it in a long time. I didn't expect to have it again today!" the child said.
"Alright, Grandpa, we all want White Rabbit candy! Give us more!" the child said.
"Okay, I'll give you more. Look, Grandpa will change some for you. Remember, this is a gift from Brother Sun Wukong. He said as long as you listen to your mom, eat on time, go to school on time, and do your homework on time, he'll give you more! Alright, he's given it to you!" the old man said.
"Where is it, where is it? We don't see it!" the children protested.
"Check your pockets, your clothes pockets. Brother Sun Wukong loves to play pranks. See if you have any!" the old man laughed.