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Harry couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He spaced out for a moment, but the ongoing match commentary quickly pulled him back to reality—especially when they started discussing a young competitor named Lu Chuan.
That was his next opponent.
To be honest, Harry felt a little out of place when he first saw Lu Chuan. Everything he'd encountered in this world so far had been flying swords, energy-infused punches, and high-level martial arts techniques. While spellcraft was actually the most widely practiced and mainstream magical discipline in the Taishi Celestial Empire—as well as the dominant system worldwide—Harry had never properly witnessed it in action.
If he had to picture spellcraft, his mind conjured up a stereotype: a mage holding a yellow talisman between their fingers, making intricate hand gestures, then summoning a Palm Thunder or Samadhi True Fire in a flash of lightning and flames.
However, in reality, the spellcraft of the Taishi Celestial Empire bore a striking resemblance to European magic.
Lu Chuan, for example, used a wand shaped like a firearm. Yet, from its appearance alone, Harry couldn't recognize the model—it looked nothing like any gun he'd ever seen. But that made sense. Unlike Europe, which had stagnated for centuries without major innovations, the Taishi Celestial Empire had continuously refined and optimized gun-wand technology. After countless generations of improvements, it was only natural that their designs had evolved into something completely different.
Curious, Harry nudged Professor Flitwick and asked,
"Professor, why do their wands look so different from ours?"
Throughout his match, Lu Chuan switched between three different wand forms. However, these transformations weren't drastic—he didn't go from a pistol to a rifle or shotgun. Instead, the changes were more akin to tactical module swaps, altering minor details that significantly affected his spell performance. Each transformation caused his magic to display entirely different effects, even when casting the same spell.
"Because their casting system is fundamentally different," Flitwick replied casually. Then, with a few rhythmic taps on the table, he smoothly transitioned into lecture mode.
"In Europe, we use a spell-based system, where different incantations produce different effects. In contrast, the Taishi Celestial Empire primarily focuses on transfiguration, with spellwork acting as a secondary discipline.
"Strictly speaking, transfiguration isn't part of Charms—it emerged later in European magic history. If we're talking about body transformations, or more precisely, the strongest lifeform transfiguration wizards, those would be the African shamans. However, when it comes to non-living transfiguration, particularly energy transfiguration, no one surpasses the Taishi Celestial Empire. Their entire magical framework integrates transfiguration as a core component.
"While they do have charms, they typically use them as support spells rather than primary offensive tools. Attacking spells like Blasting Curses, Severing Charms, and Freezing Curses are often replaced by elemental transfiguration techniques.
"You've probably noticed how they categorize magic into various elemental attributes, and each mage specializes in the attribute most compatible with their magical signature."
Flitwick tapped his fingers on the table rhythmically before continuing.
"This fundamental difference in their magical approach led to their wand designs evolving separately from ours. Though both of our cultures use wands, they were never truly identical. What Europe calls the Tuhuo Wand (突火杖) was merely one form of their firearm-wand lineage.
"European wandmakers chose magical woods and mystical creature materials best suited for our spellcasting. Meanwhile, the Taishi Celestial Empire developed a different approach, using a combination of magical wood or metal paired with high-purity magical gemstones or mana crystals."
Harry listened intently as Flitwick continued explaining.
"Spellcraft, as a magical system, can be broken down into two key components:
'Sù' (术) refers to magic that has undergone elemental transformation, manifesting as raw destructive energy—think of it like a sword.
'Fǎ' (法) functions more like our traditional spells, capable of producing supernatural effects—similar to what a wand typically does.
"In essence, they integrate 'Sù' and 'Fǎ', allowing raw elemental blades (术) to be wielded by the mystical hand of spellwork (法).
"For example, where we use a Severing Charm, they might conjure a razor-sharp elemental blade instead. The difference?
They can enhance that blade with effects like high-frequency vibration, extreme cold, searing heat, explosive impact, or corrosive energy—all through their transfiguration techniques.
Sounds complicated and intricate, doesn't it?"
Flitwick paused briefly, recalling how fascinating he had found this system when he first studied it.
"That said, we have our own ways of achieving similar results. The spell combination method was our answer to this problem.
"A fully developed compound spell is the pinnacle of this approach. In sniper-rifle wand mode, a compressed compound spell can layer multiple effects into a single magical projectile, fusing different spells together in perfect synergy. This allows a spell to achieve results that would be impossible with a single incantation.
"In short, our system is easier to learn at the entry level but increasingly difficult at higher levels. Nowadays, very few wizards are even capable of using the sniper-rifle spellcasting method."
Flitwick waved a hand dismissively before circling back to Harry's original question.
"Their wand transformations primarily serve to alter elemental attributes, enabling specific magical adjustments. From the start, their wands were designed with different functionalities compared to ours. But Harry, you need to be careful—your next opponent is only using the most basic form of wand transformation.
"I have no idea how much their modern wandcraft has advanced, but unlike Europe, they don't cling to the same designs for centuries."
Flitwick suddenly smirked.
"Do you remember what Big Ivan mentioned the other day?"
"What did he say?" Harry asked, momentarily confused.
"The Soviet Union's new-generation wands."
Harry blinked. Then, a realization hit him.
"Wait… Are you saying I might be facing a walking human artillery fortress?!"
Flitwick chuckled.
"I wouldn't rule out the possibility. In fact, I'd love to see it.
"Unlike traditional magic, spellcraft sidesteps the built-in cooldown restrictions of European spells.
"Sù and Fǎ may be part of the same system, but they can also function independently. And since Sù exists as a raw energy construct, it doesn't have a casting cooldown."
Harry nodded in understanding. He moved to a quiet corner and began stretching his muscles, adjusting his body to peak condition.
The match commentary lasted far longer than the actual fights.
The six first-round battles had collectively taken less than fifteen minutes, but the breakdown and analysis dragged on for a full hour and a half.
During that time, Harry roasted an entire beef leg, downed two crates of vodka, and arm-wrestled Xiong Dezhen four times—losing every single match.
In sheer physical strength, the panda-man still held a clear advantage over him.
Yet, the lively atmosphere lightened the tension in the waiting area. However, some fighters kept eyeing Harry with odd expressions.
"What? You have to eat and drink well to enjoy a good fight."
Completely unfazed by the stares, Harry wiped his mouth, got to his feet, and took a deep breath, expanding his chest.
His magic surged, overflowing inside him like a roaring tide.
"This next match is going to be brutal."
Compared to the other fighters dressed in traditional robes and tunics, Lu Chuan's attire was distinctly 'modern'.
His black tactical suit gave him a sleek, no-nonsense appearance, free from the burden of loose, flowing garments.
It made him look less like a martial artist… and more like a trained professional.
World Youth Spellcaster Championship: Round of Six to Three – Match One
Contestant No. 1: Harry Potter vs. Contestant No. 5: Lu Chuan
Both duelists, please adhere to the tournament regulations.
The two competitors exchanged bows before stepping into their designated positions, gripping their wands in preparation for the referee's signal.
"Bang—!"
The sharp crack of the starting gun echoed through the arena. In that instant, torrential rain poured down from above, drenching the battlefield in mere moments. A bone-chilling frost rapidly spread, and within seconds, the dueling stage was transformed into a frozen landscape, blanketed in ice and freezing rain.
Harry didn't know which element Lu Chuan specialized in, but from his previous matches, he had predominantly relied on fire magic. Being thrown into a battlefield where temperatures had suddenly plummeted to negative forty or fifty degrees Celsius was certainly not to his advantage.
Yet the bitter cold didn't seem to affect Harry in the slightest. He hadn't cast any fire or frost resistance charms on himself—not because he couldn't, but because, in high-speed combat, every spell had to be timed with precision. Saving even a fraction of a second could mean the difference between life and death. That extra moment was enough for him to execute a seamless Apparition.
As Harry blinked out of existence and reappeared midair, the spot where he had stood moments ago had already turned into a seething pool of molten lava. The scorching magma met the relentless downpour, its heat rapidly siphoned away, sending thick clouds of white steam billowing upward—only for the vapor to freeze instantly, falling as delicate shards of ice. In this first clash between fire and frost, the latter had the upper hand.
"You're already dead."
That was the message in Harry's piercing gaze as he locked eyes with Lu Chuan. The young man, whose physical endurance was clearly inferior to Harry's, had not reinforced himself with any defensive magic. Now, exposed to such extreme temperatures, his face had already turned red from frostbite. Could his rapidly numbing body still react in time?
The answer was no.
The Sectumsempra curse sliced through the air, its invisible blade carving through everything in its path. The relentless downpour traced its outline in midair, revealing its deadly arc. At a distance of fewer than two meters, Sectumsempra was nearly impossible to dodge. Lu Chuan stood still as the blade passed through him—yet there was no burst of crimson, no spray of blood.
The figure before Harry shattered into a million shards of ice.
'Where is he?'
Harry's sharp gaze swept across the battlefield, scanning both sky and ground. Yet Lu Chuan was nowhere to be seen. Harry's ability to perceive magic directly rendered invisibility spells useless—he could even detect figures cloaked in Buff-enhanced invisibility. But now, all he saw was a world of swirling white frost and frozen rain.
Suddenly, two colossal hands, sculpted from solid ice, erupted from beneath him, grasping for his legs. In an instant, Harry delivered a brutal kick, shattering the ice with sheer force. He followed up with a powerful stomp, sending a shockwave rippling through the battlefield.
Dark nen-energy surged like a swarm of black serpents, slithering along the dueling stage's foundations. The tendrils of energy twisted and expanded, forming an enormous, impenetrable net—a web of power that seized every inch of available space.
His uncle was right. Harry didn't need to memorize techniques or follow rigid forms. He only needed to understand the fundamental principles of nen—and then wield it like an extension of his own body, like a third, ever-adaptive hand.
Even the storm clouds above were caught in the black net's grasp. As the inky threads encased the battlefield, Harry took aim at the ground and pulled the trigger.
A Counter-Apparition Charm sealed the entire space. Within this magic-restricted zone, no wizard could teleport—not even an inch. Breaking this spell would require the Finite Incantatem, but unraveling such a high-level restriction wasn't something that could be done in mere seconds.
The inescapable prison was set. The moment the black web tightened, the frost-covered battlefield crumbled into fine shards of ice. The grating screech of shattering frost filled the air, the deafening cracks blending into an unrelenting cacophony. The massive sphere of nen continued to shrink.
Five meters.
Three meters.
Just as the crushing black sphere was about to solidify completely, sealing Lu Chuan's fate—
A brilliant yellow light exploded outward, piercing the darkness.
The golden radiance ripped through the cocoon of death, shattering the impending execution.
Lu Chuan stood there, his complexion unscathed by the frost, but his forehead glistened with sweat. Whatever plan he had originally devised, it no longer mattered. Once the prison had formed, he had been left with only one option: pure, brute-force resistance.
Such a reckless contest of raw power seemed unfamiliar to him. His previous matches had all been dazzling displays of technical precision, dismantling his opponents' attacks before elegantly delivering a decisive final blow.
But Harry?
Harry's specialty was direct, unrelenting force.
This kind of brawl was not Lu Chuan's style.
"Brute," Lu Chuan commented calmly.
Then, a strange smile crept onto his face.
'Wait… this guy isn't…?'
Just as Harry narrowed his eyes, suspecting the worst—
It happened.
A storm of multi-colored aura erupted from Lu Chuan's body, spiraling into the air in a chaotic dance. This reckless expenditure of energy was the simplest and most brutal defensive technique—any spell attempting to break through it would first have to withstand the sheer turbulence of uncontrolled magical currents. Walking into such a storm was akin to stepping into a meat grinder.
Yet despite its immense power, this technique was highly inefficient, burning through magic at an alarming rate. Its small range limited its application to desperate last-ditch defenses.
But Lu Chuan had no hesitation in using it.
Due to their different magical traditions and environments, spellcasters from the Taishi Celestial Dynasty required vast reserves of magic. Even among non-physical combatants, their spellcasters underwent Qi Body Tempering by the time they graduated from university, marking their entry into the Foundation Establishment Stage.
To reach this level, an enormous magic capacity was required.
On average, practitioners from the Celestial Dynasty had two to three times the magical reserves of European wizards—sometimes even more. After all, their diet included spirit beast meat on a daily basis, gradually enhancing their magic over time.
Lu Chuan's swirling storm barrier lasted less than a second.
But that fleeting moment was enough.
It granted him the time he needed to complete a form transformation—a process where even the slightest delay could be fatal.
The instant the metallic sheen enveloped his body, Harry knew.
Another one.
This was the second time he had encountered someone who had successfully achieved Stage Two Animagus Transformation.
Unlike Anna, who had transformed into a sleek panther—
Lu Chuan had become exactly what Harry and Professor Flitwick had jokingly discussed before the match.
A walking, humanoid artillery fortress.
—
(End of Chapter)