As Theodore watched the wisps of white smoke gathering toward him, his pupils suddenly contracted.
This was the power of the wishes of all living beings.
The manifestation of countless desires born from mortal hearts. When enough people longed for something with sufficient intensity, this kind of power would naturally form.
In the Primordial World, this was the fundamental resource required by the Divine Dao.
After the Investiture of the Gods tribulation, many cultivators entered the Investiture Scroll and were appointed as righteous gods of the Heavenly Court.
From then on, they could no longer advance through ordinary cultivation.
If they wished to grow stronger, they could only rely on incense offerings and wish power.
Although the Western Buddhist Sect had not entered the Investiture Scroll, the path they walked was fundamentally the same.
Cultivating through the wishes of all living beings was incomparably faster than secluded meditation.
Some mortal creatures, after gathering vast quantities of incense and wish power, could ascend to the level of immortals and gods within a single mortal lifetime.
Compared to the ancient Primordial creatures, who often needed thousands or even tens of thousands of years to become immortals, it was practically rocket-speed advancement.
Because of this, after the Investiture tribulation, countless immortals and gods began fighting over incense and wish power.
There were innumerable sects preaching among mortals solely to harvest faith and wishes.
For the sake of incense and wish power, who knew how many conflicts had erupted across the mortal world?
Yet now, as Theodore looked at the wish power gathering toward him, he wanted nothing more than to avoid it entirely.
The Dao his heart pursued was absolute freedom and boundless ease.
No attachments.
No restraints.
The Divine Dao of incense and faith fundamentally conflicted with that ideal.
Cultivators who walked the Divine Dao, once they accepted incense and wish power from mortals, would inevitably become tied to those believers. They would have to answer prayers and fulfill the expectations of their worshippers.
Even their cultivation became completely bound to the number of believers they possessed.
If the faith prospered, their cultivation prospered.
If the faith declined, their cultivation stagnated.
Falling in realm was even more common.
This was something Theodore would never allow.
How could his own cultivation ever be tied to others?
And besides the restrictions of the Divine Dao, Theodore believed it had an even more fatal flaw.
It was weak.
Its upper limit was simply too low.
At the end of that path, one could at most reach the level of the great righteous gods of the Heavenly Court.
A quasi-saint might be achievable.
But compared to those quasi-saints who pursued the Great Dao and sought the opportunity to truly become saints, Divine Dao quasi-saints were far weaker.
More importantly, they had absolutely no possibility of attaining true sainthood.
Thus, even though Theodore knew that monopolizing this world's incense and wish power would allow him to ascend to godhood at a terrifying speed, he refused without hesitation.
Immortal gods were not his ambition.
What Theodore sought was to surpass Pangu himself and obtain true freedom.
"Still… even if I don't value this wish power, others would consider it a supreme opportunity."
"It would be a waste to simply discard it."
"Better to gather it together. Perhaps I can nurture a Divine Dao cultivator in the future. With enough wish power, the cultivation speed of that path is terrifying."
"When the ancient era returns, such a person could prove quite useful."
Theodore nodded slightly.
He carefully wrapped the wish power in the energy of his Origin Sea, preventing it from merging into himself.
As for Divine Dao cultivation techniques, he possessed none at the moment.
But with his current knowledge and the assistance of the Insightful Heavenly Eye, creating a crude foundational Divine Dao cultivation method would not be difficult.
Once he found a suitable cultivator, he could gradually perfect it later.
Mystic light flowed through Theodore's eyes.
Using the Insightful Heavenly Eye, he observed the nature of the incoming wish power while countless sparks of inspiration erupted in his mind.
Based on the many cultivation methods he had already mastered, he began deducing the principles of the Divine Dao.
…
Several days later.
Within a dark and sinister jungle, Quirrell was sprinting desperately while clutching a handful of blood-red herbs.
Behind him surged what looked like a black tide.
But upon closer inspection, it was not water at all.
It was a dense swarm of venomous snakes.
Among them were even gigantic pythons far larger than ordinary serpents.
Their icy eyes locked onto Quirrell and the crimson herb in his hands as if he had stolen something immensely precious from them.
Quirrell screamed frantically in his mind.
"Master!"
"Don't you know Parseltongue?!"
"Isn't Parseltongue supposed to let you communicate with snakes?"
"Say something and make them stop chasing us!"
Voldemort immediately took temporary control of Quirrell's body and let out a series of hissing sounds.
The tide of snakes paused briefly.
Then, in the next moment, they became even more enraged, accelerating even faster in pursuit.
Quirrell nearly cried.
"Master, why are they still chasing us?!"
Voldemort replied helplessly, "Parseltongue does allow communication with snakes. Under normal circumstances, if you don't have some deep grudge against them, they're willing to give a Parselmouth some respect."
"But right now, we stole the most precious Blood Orchid in this entire jungle."
"We literally robbed them in their own territory. Why would they listen?"
"Quirrell… just run."
At last, Quirrell reached the edge of the jungle.
With agility he never knew he possessed, he leapt through the air onto his flying broom and immediately fled.
Moments later, countless snakes gathered beneath him, hissing endlessly.
Voldemort's face twisted furiously.
"These snakes actually dare curse me?!"
"Just wait until I get enough money, arm myself properly, get past the three-headed dog, seize the Philosopher's Stone, and return to my peak…"
"I'll scatter all your ashes!"
…
Quirrell's stimulant potion scheme soon collapsed completely after the opening of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.
The moment he discovered that the so-called Lesser Vajra Talisman completely outclassed every enhancement potion on the market, his entire worldview nearly shattered.
"Five Knuts a bottle?!"
Quirrell stared blankly at the clearance sale sign outside the potion shop.
"Use it to breed pigs if you don't need it…"
He felt as if his soul had left his body.
Everything was over.
Meanwhile, Voldemort was practically foaming with rage.
"Theodore Ashbourne!"
"It's him again!"
"I already stopped provoking him!"
"I just wanted to get past the three-headed dog and obtain the Philosopher's Stone!"
"So why does he still ruin everything I do?!"
"I've already degraded myself to making stimulant potions for money!"
"Theodore Ashbourne, why are you still targeting me?!"
"I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you!"
Terrifying killing intent exploded through Quirrell's mind.
But then—
Voldemort suddenly burst into manic laughter.
"You think I'm out of options?"
"No…"
"You forced me into this."
"You forced me to use my final method!"
Quirrell's eyes immediately lit up.
The Dark Lord still had a trump card?
As expected of Voldemort!
Moments later, Voldemort coldly gave him an address.
"Spinner's End, Number 102."
"Hurry."
…
When Quirrell finally arrived—
he froze.
His voice rose several octaves.
"???"
"Wait…"
"Cross-Dressing Strip Club?!"
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