Chapter 156 Phoenix (Thanks to Sparrow Yangyu for the "Powering with Love"! Thanks)
The Weasley Twins took the opportunity to approach Malfoy, secretly taking out a bottle of potion they had made last night. They claimed it was a good concoction extracted from the blood of a Xingxing, which could restore strength upon drinking, and they quietly gestured with a 'five'.
Malfoy looked at the two with disdain, then took fifty Galleons from his storage ring, tossed them to the pair, picked up the potion, and drank it. Feeling refreshed, he returned to the villa.
The two Weasleys stared in shock at the fifty Galleons in their hands. What they had meant to say was five silver Sickles, because this stuff was really easy to make and simple to get. Who knew that Young Master Malfoy had no concept of silver Sickles and had given fifty Galleons straight away? The two brothers suddenly felt that this group of wealthy young masters was truly, truly amiable. Why had they been so foolish as to oppose these wealthy young masters in the past? That was just hindering their ability to make money! So, they also felt filled with strength at this moment and began to sell the potion everywhere—at fifty Galleons a bottle, of course! Theodore and Blaiseboth bought quite a lot to stock up, and even Goyle and Crabbe bought some.
This made the Weasley Twins want to slap themselves. They had been at Hogwarts School for so many years; what on earth had they been missing out on? If they had done this earlier, they would have achieved financial freedom long ago. This group of big shots really wasn't short of money! The two brothers absolutely loved Slytherin! Only the foolish Ron would oppose them. Now, the more they looked at the Slytherin students, the more they liked them. Even Callis, Cassandra, and Farley bought quite a bit.
Su Yu picked up the Li Li beast, turned it in another direction, and it continued to dig. However, after a while, it ran back, snatched a Fizzing Whizbee from Goyle, and ran off again, leaving Goyle standing alone in the wind, disheveled and mocked by Crabbe.
After breakfast, the group began to set off one after another. Occasionally, a few Zhu birds flew across the sky; they looked like hawks, with human hands and chicken claws, and their cries sounded like they were calling their own names. Other than that, they didn't encounter any other animals.
It wasn't until they crossed Changyou Mountain that they saw a group of Changyou beasts fighting a group of Huahuai beasts over territory.
It turned out that the Huahuai group was supposed to live on Yaoguang Mountain, but because of the recent food shortage and their large numbers, they had run over to Changyou Mountain to seize the Changyou's territory and food.
The Changyou and the Huahuai were both incredibly ugly. The Changyou looked like monkeys with four ears, and their cries sounded like humans.
The Huahuai looked like humans but had long hair, bristles, and tiger claws on their bodies, and their cries sounded like babies.
Seeing Su Yu and his group, both sides stopped fighting. The Huahuai charged directly at Su Yu and the others; they hadn't eaten human flesh in a long time, and their faces were filled with madness.
Kurama jumped out. She had been wanting to test how strong her current power was; hadn't this just been delivered to her doorstep?
Harry and the others took out their magic wands, ready for battle, prepared to fight the Huahuai. Suddenly, the sky darkened. Looking up, they saw a Tailed Beast Ball the size of a mountain appearing in mid-air.
Su Yu just wanted to flick Kurama on the forehead. Wasn't this using a nuclear bomb to swat a mosquito? At such a close distance, were they trying to get themselves killed? Instantly, he bit his finger and pressed one hand to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu: Quintuple Rashomon!"
Five gates covered in hideous demons instantly rose from the ground, blocking in front of the group. Subsequently, the Susanoo was instantly activated, enveloping everyone.
Then, a powerful explosion came from the distance. Blinding light radiated from around the gates, followed by the earth shaking and the mountains quaking. The entire mountain began to tremble, and the sound of the explosion made everyone's ears go numb.
The thick smoke mixed with the shockwave was gradually blown away by Malfoy's wind magic. Harry rubbed his still-dazed head and slowly stood up. He tried hard to look forward; except for the Susanoo that Su Yu was using to shield them, the five gates not far away had all been shattered by the aftermath of the Ten-Tails enhanced Tailed Beast Ball fired by Kurama. Further away, Yaoguang Mountain, the primary target of the Tailed Beast Ball, had now been reduced to scorched earth, and the entire mountaintop had been blown into a deep pit.
Nearby, Su Yu and the women were scolding Kurama. Harry looked at Kurama's aggrieved appearance; she was hugging her head, crying and curled into a ball, no longer looking smug at all, and kept saying that it wasn't her fault, that she had improved too quickly and couldn't control it, that she was wrong, and so on.
Cedric and Summers were still weak in the knees and couldn't even stand up. It was their first time facing such a powerful move; it was already quite impressive that they hadn't been scared into wetting their pants.
Neville was tightly protecting the small parcel in front of him, afraid that the things inside would be damaged. The Weasley Twins had already rushed into the distance; they discovered that after the explosion just now, the exposed parts of Yaoguang Mountain nearby actually contained large amounts of jade and gold mines. Now they didn't even need to dig; they could just go and pick them up.
However, the Mythical Beasts following them were a bit startled. Theodore, Blaise, and the others were constantly trying to soothe them. Goyle even took out his treasured Fizzing Whizbee, but the Mythical Beast wouldn't eat it and kicked Goyle instead.
Shortly after, a Phoenix flew over from the south. It held its head high, circling among the flowing clouds. It had a gorgeous cyan crest on its head, soft white feathers under its chin, and layers of red-gold scales covering its neck. Its chest and abdomen were crimson like molten fire, and its wings were spread wide, a mix of cyan, yellow, and crimson feathers. Its tail feathers were long and trailing, with five-colored patterns intertwined in a scattered manner.
Its body was surrounded by faint, warm flames. Wherever it passed, the wind carried auspicious energy, and plants and trees flourished. Its cry was clear and resonant, piercing through the clouds and mist.
Harry and the others watched this scene in astonishment. While marveling at the flawless Phoenix, they also noticed that the mountains and rivers in front of them were slowly recovering, and the flowers, plants, and trees were slowly sprouting new buds. The scorched earth, which had been lifeless just a moment ago, was now full of renewed vitality, vibrant and full of life.
The Phoenix chirped a few more times toward Su Yu's side, seemingly complaining about its dissatisfaction with them. Su Yu, holding Kurama, kept bowing and apologizing, and only then did the Phoenix turn and fly away into the distance.
"I really give up on you, my lady..." Su Yu knocked Kuramaon the head again. "You actually attracted a Phoenix. Fortunately, it didn't attack us. I really don't know if we could beat it if we fought..."
"I know I was wrong, okay? Next time I won't act on my own without asking, alright?" In this short while, Kuramadidn't know how many times she had said she was wrong.
Seeing that Kurama had a good attitude about admitting her mistakes, Su Yu didn't say anything more. It was just a pity for that group of Huahuai and Changyou; they were now reduced to nothing, finally not needing to fight for territory, perfectly solving the problem of food shortage.
Chapter 157: The Mysterious Box
After this incident, the group's pace quickened significantly. In just two days, they had already crossed Mount Yu, Mount Qufu, and Mount Gouyu.
Kurama had picked up quite a few gold nuggets and jade pieces on these mountains, but she was no longer interested in them.
This left Su Yu at a loss for words; even the money-grubbing Kurama had one day lost interest in gold and jewelry.
Indeed, most of the people in the team had developed a resistance to these things; after all, who could stand seeing them everywhere every single day, right?
Below Mount Fuyu, the group, exhausted from the day's travel, intended to have a good rest that night. However, the restless Malfoy could not sit still. He grabbed Goyleand Crabbe, took a fishing rod, and walked to a riverbank, intending to catch some fish, as the sweet and sour fish Su Yu had personally cooked the night before was delicious, and they wanted to taste it again tonight.
"Tell me, how much longer do we have to walk?" The bored Cho Chang teased Kurama in her arms, looking up at Su Yu, who was lying in Daphne's arms with his eyes closed.
"Soon. If you've grown tired of the surrounding scenery, we can speed up tomorrow. We should be able to reach Mount Nanyu in about half a month." Su Yu replied to Cho Chang's question with a straight face, while secretly and gently stroking the softness by his hand.
"Slap!" Having been slapped by Cassandra, Su Yu quickly pulled his hand back.
"Actually, we could go even faster if you are willing…" Su Yu quickly feigned nonchalance, as if he had done nothing!
"Do you have a way?" Hearing that Su Yu really had a method, Cho Chang quickly leaned over, pulling on Su Yu's sleeve.
"I could just use the Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique to take you all there like a high-speed train. It's very fast. It's just that I can't summon other creatures; otherwise, I could summon a larger avian, and it would be even faster."
"Look! What did we catch! A dog living underwater!" Malfoy exclaimed, discovering that he had actually caught a dog in the water!
Callis and a few others who liked to join in the excitement rushed over upon hearing Malfoy's voice, snatched the landing net from the dazed Goyle, and began helping Malfoy catch the fish.
Before long, a lively Yi fish was pulled up by the joint efforts of George and Fred.
This fish actually had a dog's head and a fish's body. Even after being pulled ashore, it was still very fierce, opening its large mouth as if it wanted to eat the few people in front of it.
"This little thing is quite fierce." Callis held a branch, teasing the Yi fish in front of her, and turned to shout at the few people in the house, "Can we have an extra meal tonight?"
At the same time, far away near the Ghost Country in the Northern Classic of the Seas, the Japanese students from Mahoutokoro School of Magic were hiding in a dark cave, having not eaten anything for two days.
The team leader, Kikuchi Tadao, lay on a large rock with lifeless eyes. He had been hit quite hard these past few days. In less than ten days, their entire Mahoutokoro School of Magic team had lost six people. After all, they were just a group of seventeen or eighteen-year-old children. Facing such bloody scenes, the fact that they weren't huddled together crying was already a testament to their resilience.
"Baka! I cannot go on like this!" Tsuruta Gihei, already dizzy from hunger, pushed himself up. "I think it's time to open the box the teacher gave us when we came in!"
"But Tsuruta-kun, the teacher warned us that once that box is opened, we can only live for a year at most! I haven't lived enough… I don't want to die…" Todo Shinsaku curled himself into a ball, his voice sobbing.
"But in our current state, how much longer can we even live?" Tsuruta Gihei retorted indignantly to Todo Shinsaku. "Stop being soft-hearted! For the glory of our great Mahoutokoro School of Magic! And for the glory of our Empire!"
"Let's vote." Kikuchi Tadao opened his eyes and took out the mysterious box, placing it in front of them. "There are fourteen of us left. The minority obeys the majority. Let's begin."
——— At the end of the Northwest Great Wilderness, the broken Mount Buzhou slanted into the gray world.
The once sky-supporting pillar had a huge rift running through the mountain body, with craggy ocher-red rock walls exposed, covered in lightning strikes and cracked gullies. Rubble piled up layer by layer along the cliff, rolling all the way down to the silted mudflats of the Hanshu Water.
The ground was covered with withered white broken wood and fallen jade debris. Sand and dust were swirled by the west wind in the canyon, and the sky was filled with yellow fog blocking the sun, making the daylight dim and gloomy.
Fleur and the others were walking with difficulty on the rugged and winding stone path. Their high heels were long gone; now, everyone had their feet wrapped in homemade hay and animal skins, and their silk school uniforms were already tattered, hanging on them in shreds.
"Captain Fleur, where are we now…" A girl from Beauxbatons touched her dry, cracked lips; she could barely walk anymore.
"Hold on. We should be able to reach the mountain gate of Mount Buzhou in a day or two. After bypassing Mount Buzhou and walking another two or three hundred miles, we will reach the Kingdom of Gaishan." Fleur was also long past her limit. With her young lady personality, how could she endure such an environment? If it weren't for the sense of responsibility as a captain urging her to continue, she would have long ago thrown in the towel and announced her withdrawal from the competition.
Durmstrang Institute had already announced its withdrawal from the first round of the competition, becoming the first school to give up. The unlucky Krum, although he was leading the warriors in struggling to survive in the wild in the Land of Nüchushi in the Western Classic of the Seas, had not yet reached the point of giving up the competition.
But their luck was just too terrible. A group of them were cooking over a fire on an open space at night, and that open space was actually a juvenile Thousand-Mile Giant Crab. They loved luring strangers to land or cook on their backs, then suddenly getting up to shake them off and eat them one by one.
When the Thousand-Mile Giant Crab, which was like a giant mountain, stood up and waved its two pincers to eat this group of students from Durmstrang Institute, Krumstood out, waving his wand and constantly using Dark Artsto harass it to save his companions. But that was all he could do; the shell of the Thousand-Mile Giant Crab was not grown for nothing, and those magic attacks had basically no effect on it.
Outside the arena, Karkaroff saw that the situation had exceeded his control. In order to prevent casualties among the students, he could only painfully and regretfully tell Headmaster Dumbledore that Durmstrang Institute was withdrawing from the first round of the competition.
Chapter 158: Wood Release - Wooden Dragon Technique
Under the control of Headmaster Dumbledore, the champions of the Durmstrang Institute were safely returned to the Quidditch arena the instant they were about to be eaten by the Thousand-Mile Giant Crab.
Karkaroff breathed a sigh of relief. If they failed the first round, so be it. At least the people were alive, which was what mattered. It was just a zero score; it wasn't as if the Durmstrang Institute hadn't received one before.
The champions of Uagadou were having a decent time. Although they weren't living as comfortably as the champions of the Hogwarts School, they had gained a slight upper hand after a few days of battling the natives and venomous snakes.
However, they all felt like they were regressing, developing toward the wild state of their cannibalistic ancestors.
Now, each of them wore aprons made of leaves, went barefoot, had their heads covered in white powder, shouted "wa-wu, wa-wu," and hopped around as they walked, looking exactly like the best-selling merchandise of yesteryear.
The champions of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry also felt as if they had returned to the era of their ancestors. Facing the natives of the Deep-Eyed Country, they each felt as though they had transformed into small-town sheriffs—authentic, old-school American rednecks—recalling the days when their ancestors carried shotguns and brandished their power over the natives every day.
"Oh, shit! These filthy natives ambushed us again last night and burned down our last tent! We have to sleep on the ground tonight!"
"Watch out, Bob! Dodge the rocks!"
"I've just about had enough! Don't they know any other attack methods? It's just sneak attacks and throwing rocks every single day!"
"Quick! Use the Fire-Making Spell! Burn them to death!"
"I should have learned some Dark Arts; at least I could have unleashed a plague on them!"
"Look, Albus, they are still just as arrogant, aren't they? Bullying the weak—that is a deep-seated flaw they will never change." Outside the arena, Gellert Grindelwald sat in a chair next to Headmaster Dumbledore, poured himself a glass of whiskey, elegantly raised the glass, and took a sip.
"It reminds me of that underground station back then. Ridiculous, pathetic. The mighty American Ministry of Magic, yet not a single one of them dared to step forward!"
"Please remember your current identity, Professor Graves. This is not our business to manage..." Headmaster Dumbledore turned his head to look at Gellert Grindelwald, reminding him of his current identity. He already had enough headaches: the Dark Lord, hell, the school, Harry, Su Yu, the Ministry of Magic...
He didn't want to deal with the arrogance and prejudice of Wizards anymore; it wasn't something he could change. There was too much filth in the wizarding world.
The champions of the Castelobruxo school in Brazil were each riding their mounts—bears, tigers, cheetahs, elephants—with a dozen mountain wolves following behind.
They had recently planned to launch an all-out attack on the Mysterious Snakes to completely eradicate the pack of wild pythons. However, they failed to notice that more and more Mysterious Snakes were quietly gathering all around them; it seemed that both sides had the exact same objective.
The students of the Koldovstoretz school from Russia had perfectly integrated into the ZHANGFU Country. They called the local natives brothers every day, fighting and working out during the day, and drinking and dancing at night until they were dead drunk and unconscious.
They had even forgotten why they were here in the first place. Their favorite things every day were "Ura!" and drinking!
If they got drunk at night, they would just have a drink to sober up the next morning, and their heads wouldn't hurt anymore. They would have a little drink at noon until their faces were flushed, and the evening was the main event—they couldn't sleep until they had drunk themselves into a stupor!
Crack! This was the fifth table that Vladimir Voronov had smashed in anger outside the arena, and that wasn't counting the twenty-seven chairs, sixteen kettles, and fifty-three cups.
After smashing the table, Vladimir Voronov skillfully took out gold coins and tossed them to the House-elf who had been waiting nearby. He then picked up the vodka beside him, took a large gulp, smacked his lips, and began cursing his students again—they were all a bunch of trash. Who had they learned this from? Being so fond of drinking—a bunch of drunks!
On Su Yu's side, following Cho Chang's suggestion from a few days ago, everyone had agreed to set off together on the Wooden Dragon. Young Master Malfoy couldn't bear to let go of his little Mythical Beasts, so Su Yu simply brought those twenty Mythical Beasts along as well. After all, a few more or a few less didn't really matter.
The Wooden Dragon was incredibly fast. Under Su Yu's control, he had even hollowed out a few rooms in the middle of the Wooden Dragon. There was an open-air area for the Mythical Beasts, as well as a bathroom, bedroom, living room, recreation room, and he even set up a tea room for the girls.
The massive Wooden Dragon wound its way through the Nanshan Sutra. Its enormous body caused the entire Guishan Mountain Range to shake, and everywhere it went, there was chaos.
The afternoon sunlight was filtered through layers of branches and leaves, scattering into fine golden spots that were spread across the forest floor covered in fallen leaves.
The entire forest of Qiwu Mountain was immersed in a lazy tranquility. The hot wind was blocked outside the forest by the dense canopy, leaving only the cool mountain breeze to drift slowly through the branches, carrying the faint scent of grass, trees, and damp earth.
A few low chirps of the Gu Diao bird were hidden in the deep thickets, falling short before returning to silence. Occasionally, a withered leaf would be rolled by the wind, lightly brushing against the ground, the faint sound vanishing in an instant.
The stream at the foot of the mountain flowed over blue stones, the sound of water clear and long, winding slowly along the gullies. Vines climbed casually up old tree trunks, and wildflowers bloomed quietly beside the grass. Without the noise, the mountain forest slowed its pace naturally; time settled slowly in the shade, leisurely and peaceful.
In the grass not far away, a Huan was lying under a tree, taking a leisurely nap. It looked somewhat similar to a sheep, but it had no mouth and usually never ate or drank. One had to wonder how such an animal grew up.
On the other side, a Zhi, which looked like a tiger, quietly set its sights on the prey before it.
With a cow's tail, a white head, and horse's hooves, it let out a bark like a dog and pounced on the sleeping Huan, biting its neck in one go. The little Huan woke up with a start from its dream, realizing it had become someone's prey. Its four legs struggled constantly, trying to escape, but no matter how hard it tried, how could it possibly escape from the clutches of the Zhi?
The Zhi narrowed its eyes in satisfaction. It would have a good, full meal tonight; this prey was enough to last it for several days.
Just at this moment, a ground-shaking tremor suddenly arrived, startling several Gu Diao birds and countless flocks of birds in the forest.
The Zhi looked toward the direction the commotion came from and saw a massive Wooden Dragon constantly twisting and moving at high speed through the forest, knocking down countless trees wherever it went and leaving a deep trench in its wake.
It was so scared that it turned and ran, forgetting even the prey in its mouth. The Huan had also escaped death; upon discovering that the Zhi had dropped it, it hurriedly fled in the other direction.
Chapter 159: Texas Hold 'em
"Faster! Faster! Woohoo!"
Kurama was now on top of the Wooden Dragon's head, directing Su Yu to keep accelerating, letting the wind blow against her face.
Her nine tails whipped around wildly in the wind. Kuramanarrowed her eyes slightly, allowing the breeze to wash over her cheeks; every gust felt cool and refreshing, making her feel stretched out and comfortable all over.
"Be careful, Kurama, don't get blown away!" Daphne raised her hand to press firmly on the brim of her hat, her knuckles pressed against the top, fearing the strong wind would carry it away, while her skirt and sleeves fluttered wildly.
"What did you say? I can't hear you...!" As soon as Kuramaopened her mouth, a blast of wind rushed in, making a muffled, incoherent sound. Her cheeks puffed up, and her words were completely shredded by the wind in the air.
"Are we finally almost at Nanyu Mountain?" Inside the carriage, Callis, Pansy, and Olivia were playing cards out of boredom. "How many days has it been? I'm going to be bored to death..."
"We're actually moving pretty fast, you know. We've only been in here for twenty-six days." Cho Chang chatted with everyone while burning a card and revealing the fifth community card. "Ten of Diamonds. Anyone folding? Who's calling?"
"I call! 250 Galleons!" Olivia looked at her hole cards: an Ace of Spades and a 10 of Spades. The community cards were the Jack, Queen, and King of Spades, the 10 of Hearts, and the 10 of Diamonds.
"We'll raise by 250 Galleons too!" Callis whispered to Blaise. Her hole cards were the King of Clubs and the King of Diamonds—a full house! This hand was in the bag! "Sigh, I really want to go shopping..."
"I guess I'll call too..." Farley looked at the 8 and 9 of Spades in her hand. She and Cassandra were just brought along to play, so winning or losing didn't really matter to her.
"By the way, what are we planning to eat tonight?" Pansytossed her cards onto the table; she had already given up and folded.
"Who knows? We have to ask Mother Daphne up there. If she goes on strike, we'll just have to eat wild grass with that group of Mythical Beasts tonight." Cassandra also tossed her hole cards back.
"Ta-da! Showdown! I've got a Royal Flush! Winner takes all!" Olivia revealed her hole cards and excitedly hugged Theodore. They had won again!
"I'm starting to suspect they're cheating. How do they win every single hand?" Callis helplessly threw her cards back into the pot. "I'm done, no more... Let's ask the Chief to stop for a bit so we can go down and play, shall we?"
Three boys wearing only boxers squatted in the corner, nodding vigorously. Oh, God, can you imagine that the three of them had lost everything? Oh wait, they still had their boxers...
The three unlucky souls were George, Fred, and Harry. The game had originally been set up by George and Fred out of boredom, pulling Harry and Malfoy and a few other men into the game.
But later, the girls saw them and wanted to play too, so they took the places of Malfoy and the others, and started playing against Harry and the Weasley Twins.
But who could have guessed that the girls would be so lucky? In just one afternoon, they had won everything Harry, George, and Fred had on them.
Everything they had painstakingly saved up along the way had been won away. Now they could only huddle in the corner in their boxers, silently weeping, swearing never to gamble again, and furthermore, never to play Mugglegames again!
The Wooden Dragon slowly stopped at the foot of Nanyu Mountain. Kurama licked her wind-mussed fur, jumped down from the dragon's head, and stretched comfortably.
"That was amazing! Su Yu, can we play like this when we go back?" Kurama acted coquettishly toward Su Yu; she loved this feeling of street racing.
"How could we do that back home? Such a large Wooden Dragon would be seen by Muggles." Su Yu rubbed Kurama's little belly and said apologetically.
"But I want to play! Don't you have any way..." Kuramarolled over in Su Yu's arms and gave him a few flirtatious winks.
This damn fox was starting to have more and more of a Daji vibe...
Finally, under Kurama's constant persistence, Su Yu had no choice but to helplessly agree to take her street racing when they returned. Only then was Kurama satisfied, and she ran back into the carriage giggling to eat snacks.
"You just spoil her too much..." Daphne adjusted the brim of her hat, her bright red lips looking stunning.
Su Yu couldn't help but give her a light kiss and pulled Daphne into his arms.
Under the desperate pleas of George, Fred, and Harry, Callis couldn't bear to see them walk out like that, so she generously returned their clothes to them, though each of them had to write an IOU for ten Galleons to Callis.
"What! NOOO, GOD! NO. GOD, PLEASE, NO! Why are our own clothes so expensive!"
"Well, you don't have to buy them... As long as you're willing to appear in front of all the students in your boxers, you're free to do so." Callis spread her hands. A bet is a bet, hahahaha.
In the end, the helpless Harry and the others signed the indenture. They had come to the secret realm for a good time and had initially made a fortune, but now, they were back to square one overnight and even owed money.
Young Master Malfoy had taken his fishing rod to go fishing again. Su Yu felt that Malfoy hadn't learned anything else since coming to the secret realm, but his fishing addiction was getting stronger and stronger.
Goyle and Crabbe were swimming by the small river. They didn't have the idol baggage that Harry and his friends had; let alone wearing boxers, even if they were bare-bottomed, so what?
The two were splashing back and forth where Young Master Malfoy was fishing. Young Master Malfoy didn't pay them any mind and just kept fishing, which confirmed to Su Yu that Malfoy was just purely addicted...
Farley brought out a bottle of red wine, poured a glass for herself and Cassandra, and then the two lay on the lounge chairs under the parasol, leisurely sunbathing.
"Are we leaving tomorrow?" Cho Chang came to Su Yu's side and asked about the plan. "Su Yu, tell me, after we pay our respects to the Mountain God tomorrow and get the item, should we be heading back?"
Cho Chang was a perfect Ravenclaw girl, a bit conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to complete the mission immediately and go out to win glory for the school, but on the other hand, she thought about how nice it would be if they could stay here a little longer; she was truly happy with the life here.
Su Yu saw Cho Chang's hesitation and gently stroked her head. "If you want to come back in the future, we can all come here together for a while, how about that? Of course, we can also go to other places; there are still many beautiful sceneries, aren't there?"
With Su Yu stroking her head, Cho Chang's face flushed slightly. She lowered her head and nodded gently, seemingly whispering, "Okay."
Cedric, Neville, and the third one had recently become obsessed with making Potions. The three of them were still in the Potion room inside the carriage, arguing about something until they were red in the face.
Chapter 160: Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity
The next morning, everyone packed up all their belongings and set off toward the deep mountains, which were still shrouded in a layer of hazy morning mist.
Dew clung to the tips of the grass and branches, rolling off with a rustle at the slightest touch. Kurama wove through the woods, shaking her body from time to time, scattering the water droplets she had collected everywhere.
A cool breeze dispersed the thin mist, revealing lush greenery everywhere. Su Yu walked at the very front, turning back from time to time to pull Daphne, Cho Chang, and the other girls along.
Climbing all the way to the peak of Nanyu Mountain along the winding stone steps, the thick morning mist had not yet completely dispersed. A cool mountain breeze, carrying the scent of vegetation and clouds, rushed toward them. Beneath their feet, a sea of clouds surged, and the continuous mountain peaks were hidden within the white mist, as if they had stepped into an isolated fairyland.
Upon reaching the open area at the summit, a primitive and heavy stone altar stood prominently between heaven and earth. This was the foundation for worshiping the deity that had been used by the mountain for generations. The dark cyan surface had been polished smooth and shiny by time and the elements. Several mottled stone pillars stood around it, their bodies carved with ancient cloud patterns and dragon-shaped ornaments. The depths of the carvings intertwined, and every mark was imbued with centuries of incense and devotion.
In the center of the altar, a huge stone statue with a dragon's body and a human face sat majestically; it was the ancient mountain deity guarding these mountains.
The statue was magnificent in scale. The dragon body was coiled powerfully, winding upward from the base of the altar. The stone scales were carved with distinct layers, shimmering with a deep, matte luster in the hazy daylight. The dragon's spine rose with prominent, upright joints, and its long tail hung over the edge of the stone platform, the tip slightly curled, as if it were about to stir up the mountain winds and clouds at any moment.
The head of the statue, however, had the features of a human face. The expression was solemn and calm, with long, narrow, and deep eyes gazing straight at the distant mountains. The expression was dignified without anger, possessing both the majestic aura of a divine dragon and the solemnity of a human deity.
The head of the stone statue was slightly raised, facing the horizon where the first light of dawn was appearing in the east, as if listening to the sounds of heaven and earth, guarding the spiritual veins of the entire Nanyu Mountain range.
Farley stood in front of the cliff, gazing into the distance. Just a moment ago, when passing a dangerous pass, Crabbe had slipped on a stone, but fortunately, Malfoy had grabbed him in time.
Daphne took a bag of rice out of her backpack. Su Yumuttered about bringing the Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity something exotic today, wondering if it would be acceptable to him.
The area around the altar was filled with people dressed in plain ancient robes, standing in an orderly fashion. Everyone was calm and focused, their postures upright. Only the low hum of the mountain wind passing through the stone pillars, intertwined with the faint chirping of birds in the distant forest, made the summit feel even more solemn.
As the chief officiant, Su Yu stood in the main position directly in front of the statue, his wide sleeves and long robes fluttering gently in the mountain breeze. According to the ancient rites passed down through generations, a pure white sacrificial dog should be placed on one side of the altar, with pottery ritual vessels filled with fine millet arranged in order on the offering table, and jade discs and pottery wine vessels placed on both sides.
But there were no white dogs here, so Su Yu condensed ice-attribute Chakra and filled the altar with snow-white sculpted white dogs. Those white dogs were lifelike, each one vivid and realistic, possessing both spirit and form, as if they had come alive and were playing and frolicking.
The containers filled with fine rice had been placed on the offering table according to specifications, and Cassandrahad also carved the jade stones she had picked up along the way and arranged them on both sides.
The light fragrance of grain mixed with the curling blue smoke that had been ignited, rising slowly and twining around the body of the Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity statue.
The blue smoke drifted upward in wisps, merging into the mountain mist and shrouding the entire statue in a hazy halo.
Harry followed the movements Su Yu had taught him, stepping with a precise pace as he danced on both sides of the altar. His long sleeves extended, his steps were steady, and his movements followed ancient rituals. Every gesture was filled with reverence for the mountain deity. Georgeand Fred knelt on the ground, their foreheads lightly touching the cool stone surface, mumbling obscure and difficult-to-understand incantations.
The morning light gradually pierced through the morning mist, spilling onto the stone body of the Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity statue. The hard stone scales were plated with a layer of warm gold, and the eyes and brows of the human face appeared even more solemn in the light and shadow.
How should one describe the whole scene? It seemed rather incongruous. When the Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity revealed his true form, Su Yu still felt that he hadn't been awakened, but rather angered into waking up.
"Children, you have come to me and awakened me; for what purpose?" A majestic voice emanated from the mouth of the Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity, making one dare not look directly at him.
As the chief officiant, Su Yu told the mountain deity the goal of their mission and politely suggested that if he had any requests, he could also make them.
"I can give you my scales, but..." The Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity paused, looking at Su Yu as if trying to see through his background. "I want you to... er... never mind, I don't need it. Just take my scales and leave."
The Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity, having spoken halfway, seemed to have seen through Su Yu, but in just an instant, he was forced back to his original state by some unknown reason behind Su Yu, so he paused and decided not to ask for anything after all.
"Is it that simple?" Callis, kneeling on the ground, secretly poked Pansy beside her.
"Who knows? But we are all kneeling, and only the Chief and a few others are standing. Is the Chief playing with us?"
"I feel the same way. Look at Harry; he's dancing so funnily. He's been dancing for half an hour. And George and Fred, they have it even worse; they've been kowtowing for half an hour, and their foreheads are red." Callis watched their three funny appearances and almost laughed out loud.
"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Su Yu was a bit surprised; was this mountain deity really this easy to talk to?
"I am sure, children."
"Then can you give us a bit more?"
"No, what do you need so many for?" The Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity was slightly flustered; he had thrown his majesty aside. Why was this child so shameless?
"But our mission requires that the more we get, the higher our score..." Su Yu said, pushing his luck, and even waved his hand, as if to say, this has nothing to do with me; the mission just requires it like this...
"I'll give you 10... er, no, 6! No more than that." It seemed that because the Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity had just seen the person behind Su Yu, he did not refuse Su Yu's request this time.
"How about giving us 1000?" Su Yu accidentally blurted out his inner thoughts.
"1000? Are you taking them to make clothes?" The Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity's eyes widened. Was this person here to stock up on goods?
"20 at most! Take them and leave quickly!"
"Alright, alright, 20 it is." Su Yu stepped forward a few paces, then looked a bit troubled. "Um, how should I take them? Should I just pull them out?"
"I'll pull them out myself!" The Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity seemed somewhat resentful toward Su Yu, and his voice was a bit angry.
As he spoke, he carefully pulled one off his body, gasping in pain and letting out a muffled grunt.
"By the way, our mission goal doesn't necessarily have to be fresh ones, right? Can't we just use scales that were shed in the past?" Cassandra secretly tugged at Su Yu and told him about this situation.
"What!!! Why didn't you say so earlier! I've already pulled out five! It hurt like hell, and you're only telling me now? I have plenty of shed scales! You had to make me pull them out by force, didn't you?"
Chapter 161: The First Group Emerges
The Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity was visibly shaken.
In the end, amidst his cursing and swearing, he reluctantly gave Su Yu and the others 8,888 pieces, plus five freshly plucked scales that Su Yu had shamelessly pestered him for.
"All of you, get out immediately! I never want to see you again!"
As the Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity left, he kept rubbing the spot where he had just plucked the scales, hissing in pain, before turning into a wisp of smoke and returning to the statue.
Leaving everyone staring at each other in bewilderment.
"Su Yu, can we stop now?" Harry, still dancing, asked exhaustedly.
"No, the Mountain God just left. You all need to keep dancing for another half hour to ensure peace and safety in the future, win every bet, and get rich just by lying down—especially you two, George and Fred."
Alright, now all the Slytherin students were certain: the Chief was just messing with them! Bullying them because they didn't understand the Eastern language or Eastern customs!
They had just listened to the Chief communicate with that Mountain God in the Eastern language for a long time. Apart from the few girls by Su Yu's side who could understand some of it, everyone else had just been following Su Yu's instructions. Turns out, they had all been tricked by him...
In the end, Headmaster Dumbledore couldn't watch any longer and opened the gate to leave the secret realm for the champions of Hogwarts School, sparing the Weasley Twins, whose heads were nearly bleeding from kowtowing, from further bloodshed.
The two of them lifted their heads blankly, looking at the open light gate, and actually laughed happily, genuinely rejoicing that their sincerity had moved heaven and earth. However, the few Slytherins looked at them with a hint of disdain before walking into the light gate.
"Hey! Harry, look! This is all because of us! We're big heroes this time! Stop dancing, Harry..." George went back to pull Harry, making him stop; Harry had almost danced himself into a trance.
"I don't think the two of us were as pious as Harry..." Fredwhispered to George.
"Who says? I've almost kowtowed until my head broke, okay? How about we kowtow for a while longer?" As they spoke, the two prepared to kneel again.
"Are you three going or not? If you don't leave now, the gate will close!"
"Going, going, going... Don't push me! George!"
"Oh! Fred, have you put on weight recently? Don't squeeze me! Let me go first! Harry, give us a push, we two are stuck in the gate!"
— — — — — — — — — —
When Su Yu and the others returned to the Hogwarts School Quidditch Pitch.
All the students instantly erupted in deafening clamor, and the entire stands were tightly wrapped in the colors of their own houses. Ribbons and house banners were waved wildly, countless students sprang up from their seats in unison, feet stomping hard on the wooden floor of the stands, the thundering sound mixing together to make the air tremble.
Young boys and girls screamed at the top of their lungs, roaring the names of the champions, tossing hats, scarves, and snack wrappers into the air all at once.
Some hugged each other tightly, jumping and bumping into one another, cheeks flushed red, eyes shining with ecstatic light; several boys linked shoulders and cheered loudly, while girls jumped and screamed hand-in-hand, handkerchiefs pressed to their mouths, unable to stop laughing and shedding tears.
The railings of the stands were crowded with students leaning over, waving long house sashes, wands held casually in mid-air, sporadically emitting sparks of colorful fireworks.
"Su Yu, it's truly amazing! You were the first to complete the task and come out!"
Hermione almost stumbled as she rushed down the steps of the stands, her skirt fluttering, and in a few steps, she threw herself into Su Yu's open arms.
Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, her entire face buried in his chest, the ecstasy churning in her chest impossible to suppress, with soft, joyful gasps falling onto his lapels.
She tilted her head slightly, her nose tip gently rubbing against the fabric of his jacket, instinctively taking a deep breath, her cheek pressed tightly against his chest as she rubbed it back and forth twice, as if she had found a secure reliance, murmuring congratulations in a muffled voice while in his arms.
After Hermione calmed down, Su Yu also pulled Ginny, who had rushed over as well, into his arms. Like Hermione, Ginny greedily rubbed against Su Yu's chest, wanting to take in more of his scent.
Not far away, below the Ravenclaw stands on the side of the crowd, Luna stood alone in a small open space, her light blonde hair gently swaying in the breeze, her wand firmly tucked behind her ear, her carrot earrings swaying slightly with her movements.
She didn't roar or scream like the others, but her eyes and brows were soft, and she raised a slender hand, slowly and gently waving toward the victorious Su Yu in the middle of the field.
Su Yu had just released the two in his arms when he caught a glimpse of that faint figure out of the corner of his eye and immediately raised his arm to respond, waving his hand vigorously.
Seeing this, Luna's lips curved into a faint, gentle smile, her hand still waving lightly, offering congratulations quietly and sincerely, becoming a quiet and gentle scene amidst the frantic joy of the entire field.
The Weasley Twins, clutching the gold nuggets they had spent all night digging, ran excitedly toward the Gryffindorcommon room; they wanted to exchange all the gold nuggets for coins as soon as possible, so they could feel at ease.
Although Harry was being held up in the air by a crowd of Gryffindor students, he still spotted the big dog and the big wolf by the side of the stands at a glance. A surge of hot warmth instantly welled up in his heart, his eyebrows relaxed, and a bright, genuine smile bloomed on his face. He raised his arm high and waved vigorously, his palm swinging back and forth, excitedly shouting to them that they had won!
The big dog wagged its tail slightly in response, and the big wolf also lowered its head slightly and nodded gently, silently responding to the boy's full heart of joy and longing across the entire seething Quidditch Pitch.
As the champions of Hogwarts School were the first to complete the task and come out, and had also obtained 8,888 task items, they were undoubtedly the first place in this competition.
But compared to them, the champions from the Durmstrang Institute and Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were not so happy; they had all been eliminated early and were currently looking at Su Yu and the others with envy.
The students of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had actually failed to defeat that group of natives, which caused their Principal, Seraphina Picquery, to lose face in front of all the other Principals. Sure enough, history always repeats itself in shocking ways; when Columbus and his crew first landed in the Caribbean, they were also beaten quite badly.
When Su Yu turned back to look at the big screen on the Quidditch Pitch, he discovered that the other academies were also close to completing their tasks; only the screen for the Mahoutokoro School of Magic was pitch black, and nothing could be seen.
"Ever since they took out that box and opened it, a burst of black smoke sprayed out, and then it became like this, and nothing can be seen." Hermione and Ginny gave Su Yu and the others a detailed account of the story of the Mahoutokoro School of Magic, from suffering a major setback after entering to finally bringing out their trump card. "And after a joint discussion by the Ministry of Magicand Dumbledore and the other Principals, it was determined that the contestants were fine, so their task continues, it's just impossible to see it."
"They must be hiding some big conspiracy!" Callis was the first to voice her opinion.
"See, even Callis can tell; we will have to pay more attention to them in the future."
"Blaise! Are you looking to die?! You can't go a single day without going against me, can you?"
Chapter 162: Shikigami
As evening approached, the champions from Castobruxo also emerged. They were covered in blood, clearly having gone through a fierce battle. Panting heavily, they walked step by step, struggling, across the Quidditch Pitch until, finally, unable to hold on any longer, they collapsed one after another.
Madam Pomfrey from the Hospital Wing, accompanied by the on-site medical staff, quickly entered the field. After a preliminary examination revealed that they were all merely exhausted and had no serious injuries, she organized personnel to carry them back to the Hospital Wing one by one.
The champions from Castobruxo had exhausted all the animals from the classic of mountains and seas that they had tamed within the map of mountains and seas. Everyone had given their all, everyone was injured, and some had even nearly lost their lives to arduously obtain the scales of the Black Snake leader. Seeing that they could no longer hold on, Headmaster Dumbledorehurriedly opened the light gate to let them withdraw.
Their Principal, Cecilia Silva, was beaming with joy right now. There are no cowards at Castobruxo! They are all champions!
The students of Hogwarts School also cheered for them. They were never stingy with their praise for champions; they deserved to be acclaimed.
In the Great Hall, Kurama was eating the cheesecake she had been longing for. She had been thinking about it for a long time in the secret realm; after all, even as capable as Daphne was, she couldn't account for everything without the proper tools and time.
Su Yu and his friends were enjoying the food while keeping an eye on the competition. Although the Castobruxo champions came out second, they had only obtained one task item, so the final ranking would depend on the outcomes of the remaining schools.
Harry and his friends were already throwing a party in the Gryffindor common room. The Weasley Twins were being hoisted into the air by the cheering crowd, fully enjoying this wonderful moment. Only Neville was missing—he didn't know where he had gone again—but the three of them were enough, and the Gryffindor students cheered and danced for their three champions.
Ron had also sincerely apologized to Harry. He had long understood that he had fallen out with Harry back then because he was jealous of him, but he just hadn't found the right opportunity to apologize. Harry, however, didn't say much and generously forgave Ron. They were just kids, after all; arguments were normal, and they would get over them after a bit of tussling.
And just like that, in the blink of an eye, the two of them were best friends again.
Hermione spoke to Su Yu about this, puzzled. She didn't understand why boys' friendships formed so quickly, broke apart so inexplicably, and reconciled in such an unfathomable way.
Over the next two days, Beauxbatons Academy and Uagadou also emerged. As expected, although Beauxbatons Academy was the third group to return, under Fleur's leadership, they had successfully brought back over 20 branches of the Vermilion Wood. The sap from this could cure strange poisons and suppress cultivation deviations, which meant that the overall score of Beauxbatons Academy was not lower than that of the second-place Castobruxo.
As for the fourth-place Uagadou, they had successfully obtained the inner cores of the exotic beast Bingfeng, though they had only managed to get two. The Bingfeng is a creature with a pitch-black, pig-like body, and a pig's head at both ends. However, they contain two inner cores, one controlling solar fire and the other controlling yin cold. Combined with the local indigenous people and various venomous snakes, this caused quite a bit of trouble for the Uagadou students. Several students were even burned or frostbitten, and one was even frozen into an ice sculpture and was currently receiving treatment in the Hospital Wing.
It wasn't until the final day that the students from Mahoutokoro School of Magic returned. However, only 14 students remained. They were all covered in wounds, dragging their somewhat crippled bodies as they limped out of the map of mountains and seas, and they even tossed out a massive snake head.
"Is this... Xiangliu?" Su Yu frowned, carefully examining the gigantic head before him. "How is this possible? How could they have encountered Xiangliu? Isn't Xiangliu in the Classic of Regions Beyond the Seas: North?"
All the students around gasped, marveling at how huge it was and wondering how they could have killed a fierce beast of that level.
Even the Principals and the Minister for Magic, Fudge, looked at the scene before them in astonishment. Only the Principal of Mahoutokoro School of Magic, Headmaster Mochizuki Seigen, could no longer contain his arrogant smile; covering his injured eye, he burst into hysterical laughter.
"Just a beast, what is there to be surprised about?" Kikuchi Tadao snorted disdainfully. "We brought back 378 hairs of the Tengquan this time. I ask you, who~ else~?"
"Exactly! Who else can compare to our magnificent Mahoutokoro School of Magic?" Tsuruta Gihei followed suit, laughing wildly, though he accidentally tugged at the wound on his shoulder where the white bone was faintly visible, causing him to gasp in pain.
"Uh... but our Hogwarts School champions brought back 8,888 task items..." Seamus muttered quietly.
"Yeah... what are they being so proud of?" Dean also started to mock.
The students from Mahoutokoro School of Magic instantly looked like a flock of hens with their necks being throttled; all their words stuck in their throats, and they suddenly turned red in the face.
"Baka! We also brought back a head of Xiangliu!"
"But Su Yu and the others didn't even hand in the scales they plucked from the Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity... Ugh... thinking about that scene makes it hurt... that was a full five scales..."
"Bakayaro! If you have the guts, come out and fight one-on-one! Let us show you our great Mahoutokoro School of Magic's Shi... Wu..." Tsuruta Gihei was just about to blurt out the secret when the captain on the side covered his mouth and slapped him hard.
"You pig! Do you want our secret to be leaked? There are still two matches left! You brainless pig!" After slapping him, Kikuchi Tadao grabbed Tsuruta Gihei by the collar and whispered.
"Alright, let the champions of Mahoutokoro School of Magic go to the Hospital Wing for treatment now. After all, there is still one team of champions who hasn't come out yet, isn't there?" Headmaster Dumbledore interrupted the arguing group and made the decision.
The group from Mahoutokoro School of Magic was also signaled by Principal Headmaster Mochizuki Seigen to leave the Quidditch Pitch.
"What do you think is going on?" Cassandra asked Su Yu, who was beside her, after seeing the people from Mahoutokoro School of Magic leave, supporting each other.
"Was what they didn't finish saying earlier'Shikigami'? That stuff is taboo; how dare they?" Hermione had been frantically studying knowledge about Mahoutokoro School of Magic recently, just to ensure Su Yu and the others were prepared in advance and wouldn't be ignorant of their opponents.
"I reckon so. However, given the nature of their 'eight million gods', they shouldn't be able to defeat Xiangliu, let alone cut off one of its heads. I suspect this matter isn't so simple." Su Yu recalled the information in his mind about the eight million gods, but no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't believe that the bunch of self-aggrandizing entities could defeat Xiangliu.
"What is this'Shikigami' you guys are talking about?" Malfoy was still the curious baby, looking just like the foolish son of a wealthy landlord who had more money than sense.