A Step to the Ends of the Earth

Biodata

Power Progression

Minor mastery was offered as a future reward for independently killing a peak ninth-level Martial Master Realm beast in the trial secret realm. Xiao Han accepted the challenge, but the supplied chapters do not show him receiving that reward 37.

Acquisition

At the Martial Skills Pavilion, Xiao Han considered choosing Phantom Step and Stone-Splitting Fist. The God-Level Choice System instead offered A Step to the Ends of the Earth and an incomplete Annihilation Divine Fist if he performed three bows and nine kowtows before the dusty Revised Basic Breathing Technique and publicly begged to learn its art 10.

After he completed the ritual, the system delivered both techniques. Their circulation diagrams and principles appeared directly in his consciousness 11.

Xiao Han later considered A Step to the Ends of the Earth incomplete and searched the Star Pavilion for subsequent fragments 63 66.

Abilities & Skills

Spatial Footwork

The technique applies spatial principles as well as speed, making each step seem to shorten the distance traveled 12.

• Speed and agility: Even Xiao Han’s initial attempts produced a speed increase of at least 30% over his physical movement alone 12.
• Evasion: Its unpredictable angles let him slip past attacks and reposition for a counterattack 17 27.
• Spatial jumps: Xiao Han can use the technique to traverse space, with his later cultivation improving both the distance and efficiency of his leaps 54 100 104.
• Spatial nodes: Greater understanding of the Shadow Void Scripture sharpened his ability to perceive and control spatial nodes 98 100 104.
• Training demands: Its complex spiritual-energy route and precise body-control requirements initially caused him to stumble 12.

Shadow Movement

The technique works with the Eternal Night King Martial Soul’s shadow power, allowing Xiao Han to blend into shadows and move between them 12 14.

• Stealth and ambush: Xiao Han moved through shadow to get behind one robber and cut off another’s escape 14.
• Shadow jumps: After his improvement in the valley, he could briefly jump through shadows; in the Black Mist Forest, he traveled by what appeared to be short spatial jumps between them 22 39.
• Domain support: His embryonic Eternal Night Domain enabled shorter but more frequent shadow jumps during the guardian battle 47.
• Shadow Void Scripture: The scripture’s concealment and spatial insights enhance the technique’s stealth and unpredictability 54 65 67.
• Chaos Shadow: The Eternal Night Monarch’s Chaos Shadow power allowed Xiao Han to pass through gaps between shadows without leaving a trace during his fight with Long Aotian 83.

Limitations

• The Black-Scaled Mad Ape’s aura lock and pressure initially made escaping through shadows exceptionally difficult 15.
• The ruin guardian’s sweeping spatial attacks could still wound Xiao Han despite his evasions 44 46.
• A dual lock and spatial turbulence later rendered the technique practically ineffective when he was trapped against a pillar 49.
• A spatial jump beyond his body’s limits placed severe strain on his bones and internal organs and left him dizzy and injured 98.
• After the preliminary fusion of demonic contaminations, spatial traversal in the black marsh consumed substantially more stamina despite the technique’s improved speed there 158.
• The Starpath Guards’ Starlight Maze-Locking Formation folded the space ahead and trapped Xiao Han after he fled using the technique and Shadow Stealth 161.

Notable Uses

• Black-Scaled Mad Ape: Xiao Han evaded the ape’s punch, then rushed beneath it to strike its vulnerable eye 17 18.
• Lei Ming: In the arena, he repeatedly dodged Lei Ming’s attacks before defeating him with Annihilation Divine Fist 27.
• Ironback Gray Wolves: He used the technique to scout a wolf pack and later move through the wolves attacking his teammates 34 35.
• Ruin guardian: He used it to evade attacks and close on the guardian’s core, although doing so cost him his left shoulder and part of his chest 43 46.
• Luo Bing and Shi Lei: He used the footwork to evade their attacks during academy matches, incorporating shadow power and spatial insight against Shi Lei 59 64 65.
• Li Yan: He slipped through Li Yan’s flames and evaded his flaming lions before counterattacking and knocking him from the platform 73.
• Netherworld Demon Spider: He used the technique to seize the Dark Night Star Soul Crystal and escape through webs and poisonous mist, burning qi and blood during his flight 81.
• Long Aotian: He evaded flame chains and appeared behind Long Aotian under cover of Chaos Shadow 83.
• Scarface’s assassins: He made a punishing long-distance jump to evade a killing strike, then used further jumps to leave the battlefield 98.
• Three Martial Grandmasters: He evaded the Blackwater Mystic Snake’s attack and raced toward a hidden spatial node, escaping through an unstable gate 115.
• Blood Fiend Hall patrol: He passed concealed sentries and combined his footwork with fist and sword techniques to defeat a patrol near the ring-shaped valley 117.
• Wilderness Poison Dragon Lizard: He activated the footwork alongside Space Imprisonment, briefly stiffening the beast’s movements before suppressing its perception with Shadow Soul Domain 134.
• Starpath Guards: He fled their attack with A Step to the Ends of the Earth and Shadow Stealth, but was caught in their spatial formation 161.
• Void Polluter: He maneuvered between tentacles while Qin Yueyao and her allies opened a path toward the Star Core Ancient Key 170.
• Darkfall Bone Venerable: Under the cover of Eternal Night · Myriad Worlds’ Downfall, he slipped past the skeletal warrior and reached the Dark Night Throne 179.

Trivia

• The system offered Void Monarch as an evolution path that would greatly improve the technique and give Xiao Han a chance to comprehend spatial traversal and dimensional exile. He chose Shadow Dominator instead 20 21.
• Xiao Han considered using a temporary perfection epiphany on the technique to explore its spatial mysteries, but also considered other arts for the reward 81 82.