Of the four branches of magic, Transfiguration was unquestionably the hardest. It was also the one that demanded the most talent.
It ranged from the most basic changes in a substance's form, to changes in its composition, to the temporary transformation of living things.
It could change something as small as a matchstick or alter an entire person's appearance.
Its difficulty and the depth of its principles meant Lu Yi had spent more time trying to understand it than anything else.
Under Electrolux's guidance, Lu Yi had come to understand that although the magic he wielded was driven by mind and emotion, appearing to depend on will alone,
that dependence on will was only a surface appearance.
Though Wizards did not understand the principles, they were in fact performing precise, complex manipulations and alterations of matter and energy.
Unable to uncover the underlying logic, these Wizards merely gathered and summarized what had worked when casting spells.
In the end, they arrived at an effective method—but the theory they created to explain it did little more than account for the phenomena on its own terms.
Sometimes, a mispronounced syllable or an incorrect Wand movement drastically changed a Spell's effect, even producing something wholly unlike the intended result. That was because, while manipulating energy, the caster had followed an entirely different line of logic.
Lu Yi could already tell that teaching others to reach the level of Advanced Apprentice in Transfiguration would be his longest and most difficult task.
Still, for the first Transfiguration lesson, Lu Yi followed tradition and started with the simplest, most fundamental thing: a matchstick.
Before thirty people, Lu Yi pointed his Wand at a matchstick. As he slowly recited the incantation, it began to grow thinner and smoother.
Lu Yi deliberately slowed the transformation.
A metallic sheen