Theodore looked at the Harp of the Underworld before him.
Although the other party had come under orders to kill him, it had undeniably brought him real benefits.
More than that, by the end of their conversation, there had even been a faint sense of kindred spirits meeting through music.
If not for the Harp of the Underworld being corrupted by the maddening aura of the Old Ones, Theodore would have allowed it to return to slumber.
Unfortunately, it could only be called a pity.
This level of corruption from the Old Ones was not something Theodore currently had a way to resolve.
But at the very least, while the Harp of the Underworld still retained a trace of consciousness, he could return this final piece to it.
The moment Theodore pinched the string, the nearly shattered consciousness of the Harp of the Underworld suddenly cleared for an instant.
"You should have run…"
"But you stayed just so I could hear this piece?"
"Fuxi's Heavenly Sound… Before I finish hearing it, I will hold on. I am the Harp of the Underworld. Trying to corrupt me? It won't be that easy…"
Sensing the harp's struggle, Theodore took a deep breath.
His fingers moved across the string.
Fuxi's Heavenly Sound!
At that moment, no note in the worldly sense burst forth.
Yet the Harp of the Underworld seemed to hear heavenly music flowing from between heaven and earth, as if the very principles of the world had gathered upon the string in some mysterious form, explaining endless profundities.
Upon a single string, immeasurable power resided.
The Harp of the Underworld sighed in wonder.
"So this is Fuxi's Heavenly Sound? The melody you wanted me to hear?"
"To witness such a melody at the very end… I truly have no regrets."
"…"
Then, the Harp of the Underworld reminded Theodore.
"I now believe that perhaps you truly do have the possibility to surpass the age of myth and overturn the Old Ones."
"But remember this. This is only the beginning."
"The closer the ancient return draws, the more unfamiliar the magical world you know will become."
"Those horrors from the ancient past and the age of myth will return one after another. Indescribable shadows will once again cover this world."
"Always remember: what flows in a wizard's body is the bloodline of the Old Ones. When the ancient age arrives, friends you know may mutate into evil things, and enemies hostile to you may become even more terrifying."
"Be especially careful of that wizard called Voldemort. With a soul so twisted and shattered, once he mutates, he will become extremely terrifying."
Theodore nodded to the Harp of the Underworld.
"I know."
"Then let me send you on your way."
The next instant, the taut string was released.
The astonishing power of Fuxi's Heavenly Sound poured out in an instant.
The mutating Harp of the Underworld had no room to struggle beneath that power. In the blink of an eye, it turned to ash.
And this was only the beginning.
Fuxi's Heavenly Sound echoed through the world in some strange form, even interfering with the rules of heaven and earth.
There had originally been at least half an hour before sunrise.
But under this single sound from Fuxi, the red sun rose early from the horizon, staining the sky crimson.
Looking at this scene, even Theodore could not help feeling his heart surge.
With one sound from Fuxi, the world turned white, sweeping away the fading moon and remnant stars!
What terrifying power!
If he could truly master this supreme divine ability, then so what if the Old Ones came?
They could all be destroyed!
However, after calming himself, Theodore thought of the Harp of the Underworld's warning, and his expression became somewhat solemn.
He did not fear making enemies of the Old Ones.
But just as the Harp of the Underworld had said, wizard bodies flowed with the bloodline of the Old Ones. Magic and madness were naturally intertwined.
If the Old Ones' influence could not affect him, what if they turned toward those around him instead?
For example, this Prelude of the Dead—if anyone other than Theodore had listened to it, there would have been no outcome except death.
That kind of power had already surpassed the current limits of the magical world.
Theodore possessed Heaven's Secret Divination. Even if his friends were in danger, he could rely on that talent to calculate the situation perfectly.
But earlier, when Heaven's Secret Divination had tried to calculate matters involving existences at the level of the Old Ones, it had already struggled greatly.
Above the Old Ones, there was still that "Pangu-like" existence.
Theodore could not guarantee that he could truly control everything.
After all, even the Saints of the Primordial World, who were said to be omniscient and omnipotent, still had things beyond their power.
Moreover, Theodore was only one person. There were many things waiting for him to do.
If he himself were too occupied to split his attention and the people around him encountered danger, he might not be able to spare the effort to save them.
"The safest method is still to set up the Wuzhuang Temple Grand Array as soon as possible."
"Using the willow tree as the heavenly spiritual root, I can establish the Wuzhuang Temple Grand Array, gather spiritual energy, and turn Hogwarts into a blessed grotto-heaven."
"Only then can it be called safe unless the Old Ones personally descend. It will be enough to isolate those hidden influences, and the Wuzhuang Temple Grand Array will also greatly benefit both me and Willow Immortal's cultivation."
Theodore made up his mind.
To create the original Wuzhuang Temple Grand Array would require a vast ocean of heavenly treasures.
But in the magical world, there was no need to use the full original array.
Otherwise, once it began operating, its range might cover half the magical world.
What Old Ones? They would all be suppressed before even awakening from their slumber.
Of course, even if Theodore wanted to set up the original array, he lacked both the strength and the resources.
But a simplified youth version of the Wuzhuang Temple Grand Array would be enough in the magical world.
The most important component, the heavenly spiritual root that served as the array core—the Ginseng Fruit Tree—could be replaced by Willow Immortal, whose nature was similar.
The Ginseng Fruit Tree and the Wuzhuang Temple Grand Array complemented one another. It could obtain immense benefits from the vast spiritual energy gathered by the array. Otherwise, how could Ginseng Fruits have such production?
In this life, Willow Immortal could also draw benefits from the array and further unleash its potential as a demonic immortal.
As for the remaining ocean of spiritual materials, Theodore planned to use substitutes.
The array arranged in this way would be less than one ten-thousandth of one ten-thousandth as powerful as the original, but defending Hogwarts would absolutely make it as solid as an iron fortress.
"I need to start gathering materials."
"Fortunately, the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion has accumulated a huge amount of resources recently."
"After calculating it, if I empty my family wealth, it should barely be enough."
…
At the same time, outside the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.
Voldemort and Quirrell looked at the red sun on the horizon and fell silent.
Others might not have noticed that the sunrise time was abnormal, but tonight, they had almost been counting every second.
Compared with usual, today's sunrise had come at least half an hour early.
And ever since the Harp of the Underworld had entered the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, it had never come back out.
Although they did not know the exact connection between the two events, Voldemort could confirm that there had to be one.
"That kind of magic…"
"It seems the Harp of the Underworld has definitely been destroyed."
Even Voldemort felt a little regretful.
If the Harp of the Underworld had not been so impulsive and had been willing to help him first, then with its power, obtaining the Philosopher's Stone would have been much easier.
But now, it was too late for regrets.
"I warned it long ago not to confront Theodore directly. That little wizard is far too strange."
"Fortunately, when I asked the Harp of the Underworld if it knew how to deal with a three-headed dog, it actually did."
"So the ancestors of three-headed dogs once guarded the underworld. Music is their weakness!"
"In that case, passing the three-headed dog's trial will be much easier."
But because of all the suffering he had endured at Theodore's hands, Voldemort no longer dared to treat anything lightly.
He intended to approach every following trial with the same caution as the three-headed dog.
"A speedrun is impossible. Time—we need to create time for the attempt."
"We must draw away the attention of Theodore, Dumbledore… everyone, as much as possible."
"Quirrell, do you have any ideas?"
Hearing Voldemort's question, Quirrell pondered for a moment and thought of something.
"Didn't Dumbledore previously say he wanted to invite Quidditch stars to Hogwarts to hold some kind of Quidditch friendly match?"
"That will be the focus of everyone in Hogwarts. Even Theodore is a member of the Quidditch team, so he will also play."
"That will be the best time for us to create chaos."
"Hold Theodore and Dumbledore down. We go straight for the Philosopher's Stone. Once we obtain it, we immediately leave Hogwarts. After you restore your full strength, Master, we can wash away our humiliation!"
Voldemort nodded.
"A Quidditch match? Not bad. That is indeed a good suggestion."
He seemed to think of something, and a sinister smile appeared in his eyes.
"This time, I have enough resources and time to prepare. I can prepare a huge surprise for Theodore and Dumbledore."
"Hmph. Dealing with them may be difficult, but the others in Hogwarts are much easier to handle."
"And those young wizards are Theodore and Dumbledore's greatest weakness."
"No matter how powerful they are, if they want to protect so many people, they will certainly be thrown into chaos and have no attention left to spare."
"Even after we obtain the Philosopher's Stone, those young wizards can be used as shields for our escape."
Quirrell reminded him,
"Master, Hogwarts' protective magic…"
Voldemort showed a look of confidence.
"Give me time. Temporarily suppressing or blocking a magic that has lasted for so many years is not impossible."
"Without the protective magic, I would like to see what Dumbledore and Theodore can rely on to protect so many students."
"By the time they react, I will already have obtained the Philosopher's Stone and left."
"This time, the advantage is mine!"
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