Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Teaching, Students in Shock!



"Shaping magic, as the name suggests, is magic that takes on a specific form created by the caster and can produce effects."

Dean Bruce's explanation did little to clear the confusion among the students, who exchanged puzzled glances.

Noticing this, Dean Bruce smiled and said, "Feel free to ask any questions if you don't understand. As long as you're willing to learn, I will hold nothing back."

With that reassurance, the students felt more at ease, and one of them quickly raised their hand to ask, "Dean, what do you mean by magic with a specific shape?"

"Almost every spell has a shape," Dean Bruce replied. "For example, the fireball spell is a round fireball, Ice Arrow is an arrow shape, and Thunder Flash takes the form of thunder."

Upon hearing this, many students nodded in agreement, as they shared the same understanding.

"You're mistaken; not all magic has a specific shape. Does a spell that puts someone to sleep have a tangible form?" Dean Bruce chuckled and continued, "What about spells that enhance strength or magical power? Do they have a specific shape? Defensive spells, spells that summon beasts or elementals, and magic that directly affects the soul—do any of these have a shape?"

The students were left dumbfounded; their exposure to magic had been so limited that they were unaware of the numerous categories of spells, leaving them momentarily stunned.

Dean Bruce went on, "What you just described can also be considered shaping magic, but it falls under a more basic category of shaping magic. In fact, in the past, no one even regarded them as shaping magic; they just happened to belong to this category."

The girl who had asked the earlier question looked puzzled. "But isn't the fireball spell and Thunder Flash classified as attack magic?"

Hearing this question, Dean Bruce paused for a moment, then spoke in a serious tone, "You need to understand that there are many types of magic. If you look at a spell through different criteria, you will arrive at different conclusions."

"In the categories of attack, defense, and support, the fireball spell is considered attack magic. However, in the categories of natural magic and ritual magic, the fireball spell belongs to natural magic. So, isn't it quite normal for it to also fall under shaping magic?"

Dean Bruce turned to a young man and said with a smile, "Your earlier answer was quite good. Why couldn't you think of it in terms of shaping magic?"

At his words, the young man felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment, deeply ashamed of himself.

The other students also seemed to have an epiphany, all staring at Dean Bruce with eager anticipation for the next part of the lesson.

Dean Bruce continued, "The term shaping magic is not widely known. Even though many spells fall into this category, neither the creators of these spells nor later practitioners have this awareness. That's why I chose to teach you the theory of shaping magic."

"This way, as you gain insight, when you cast many existing spells, you will have a deeper understanding and achieve better effects!"

"For instance, when casting Ice Arrow, while others may create arrows with fixed shapes, you can transform the shape of the arrow based on your environment, catching your opponents off guard and also enhancing the effectiveness of the spell."

As his words sank in, the students' eyes lit up with excitement, their hearts brimming with anticipation.

The girl who had asked earlier spoke up again, "Dean, does that mean any magic with a shape qualifies as shaping magic?"

"Yes!" Dean Bruce nodded. He then shifted his focus, adding, "However, that only represents the most basic form of shaping magic. Advanced shaping magic is created by the caster themselves, rather than being a fixed shape."

The girl frowned slightly, her brow furrowed in confusion. "But if the ideas or situations are different, wouldn't that mean that the magic cast each time would produce different effects? Is it still the same spell?"

"Excellent question! The fact that you have so many questions shows you are thinking and learning seriously," Dean Bruce said with a smile. "What's your name?"

Boom!

Before long, after a brief incantation, four different spells erupted simultaneously, charging toward Dean Bruce.

The other students watched wide-eyed, their curiosity fixed on Dean Bruce.

Buzz—

Green branches and leaves reappeared, forming a surrounding wall at lightning speed, encasing Dean Bruce within.

Clang, clang, clang!

The sound of crisp collisions rang out as the spells failed to break through the wall of branches and leaves, dissipating harmlessly.

Dean Bruce smiled and said, "I cast the same spell, but the form it took—has it changed?"

"It started as just a wall, but with attacks coming from all around, the shape transformed into a surrounding wall!"

"True powerful shaping magic possesses the ability to change according to the caster's intent."

Hearing these words, the students had an epiphany. Kanisha Serang spoke up again, "Dean, so you mean the magic you cast can change its shape based on the direction of the attack? It can become different kinds of walls?"

Dean Bruce shook his head, replying, "Not just walls; it can also become a cage, a castle, or even a bowl. Essentially, anything that can protect me can take shape."

With that, Dean Bruce cast The Compassion of Heaven and Earth spell once more. The branches and leaves twisted into a cage, enveloping him.

At that moment, not only would attacks from all around be blocked, but even those coming from above or below would be entirely thwarted.

The students were left in awe at this scene.

Dean Bruce couldn't help but smile, feeling a rush of satisfaction. This was precisely the effect he wanted!

What pleased him even more was that his understanding of The Compassion of Heaven and Earth had reached a new level.

It could be said that the foundational theory of magic had a tremendous impact on a magician's growth and influence. Dean Bruce had previously not realized this; every time he used The Compassion of Heaven and Earth for defense, it coalesced into a wall.

Today, in teaching and guiding new students, he had inadvertently unlocked a more powerful application for this spell!

Even though the defensive power hadn't become stronger, its versatility had greatly increased!

Regaining his focus, Dean Bruce softly said, "Now you should understand what shaping magic is, right?"

"Make sure to remember this: don't be confined to the traditional forms of spells. A fireball spell doesn't have to be a ball; it could be a ferocious tiger made of flames that explodes upon hitting the enemy!"

"Ice Arrow could also take the form of an ice spear, an ice sphere, or even an ice bird!"