I, the leader of the esoteric sect, am doing great things in the infinite world!

At that moment, Snape's bat-like figure appeared swiftly from the school. He didn't even walk as fast as before, but ran at breakneck speed without regard for decorum, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace.

The roar of slick-haired Snape grew louder as he approached.

"Stop!"

Li Lin, who was already standing at the bridgehead, suddenly changed his expression, gasped, turned around and ran, not forgetting to utter a harsh threat.

"You chase me, and if you catch me, I'll...hehehehe."

Enraged and dizzy, Snape drew his wand: "Godsword..."

Dumbledore slapped his wand away: "Calm down, Severus—what's wrong with you?"

"That damned bastard, that Frobenstein's caterpillar born from a toad's skin..." Snape cursed, unusually unrestrained, "He took my Felix Felicis!"

The potions master, his eyes bloodshot, gestured with his hands and said, "Then—a bigger bottle!"

"When he comes back, I'm going to duel him!"

Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged a glance and decided to kindly refrain from pointing out that Snape would be thoroughly beaten by Li Lin.

......

Devon is located in southwest England, bordering Cornwall to the west and Dorset and Somerset to the east. It has two separate coastlines.

Nicolas Flamel and his wife live here in seclusion. Half a century ago, they lived on the European continent and were patrons of the magic school Beauxbatons.

In that letter, Nicolas Flamel included a magical little gadget: a butterfly made of gold foil. After Li Lin arrived in Devonshire, it flew out of Li Lin's clothes on its own and hovered about a meter in front of him.

This is a road sign.

The letter also included a map that could be destroyed after reading. However, as the map burned, a constantly jumping arrow appeared before Li Lin's eyes.

If these are all things that alchemy can accomplish... then Nicolas Flamel might be even more omnipotent than Li Lin thinks.

Half an hour later, Li Lin emerged from the golden-purple twilight. The continuous shifts made his body look somewhat illusory, and there was even a hint of frost on Li Lin's temples.

Before them lay a dilapidated gravel road. To the Muggles, it was a dead end, but to Li Lin, it led straight to a manor in the nearby forest.

The gray brick walls were covered with vines, and gargoyle-like sculptures stood on top of them. Apart from the gravel road, the surrounding trees, shrubs, grass and lakes seemed to match the temperament of the manor, and everything seemed very precise.

A man dressed in black was standing by the roadside. His manners were so perfect that no one could find fault with him, but there was a subtle stiffness in his every move.

Li Lin, unable to resist, reached out and slapped his head.

The waiter in black hesitated, but as a distinguished guest with an invitation, Li Lin's behavior was harmless and had no intention of attacking, so he really had no reason to protest.

For alchemical beings, "no reason" means no action.

Just as Li Lin was about to pull down the waiter's pants and poke him with a crowbar, Nicolas Flamel's voice rang out from the waiter's mouth.

"Please don't bother my servants, Mr. Aatrox. I'll be waiting for you in the drawing room."

Li Lin pursed his lips and, with the air of a colonel, said to the waiter, "You, lead the way."

The waiter, who was not one to hold grudges, nodded silently and turned to walk towards the Château de Le Maire.

......

Nicolas Flamel, or as is customary in translation, Nicolas Flamel.

He looked to be in his seventies, with a considerable amount of black hair, but his mustache was completely white.

Deep wrinkles were etched on the Grandmaster's face, especially the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, which were curved and slightly upturned, making him look like he was always smiling.

He appeared before Li Lin in a wheelchair, his tone gentle: "I heard your name from Dumbledore. Your understanding of economics and wealth is beyond my imagination; even Dumbledore was amazed by it."

Nicolas Flamel flicked his finger, and the wheelchair automatically turned, carrying him closer to the roaring fireplace.

A silver arm reached out from the wall, picked up a blanket, and covered Nicolas Flamel's knees. Several alchemical maids came through the porch and served them steaming tea and snacks.

Li Lin unceremoniously picked up the biscuits and crunched them loudly; he always had a good appetite.

“I’ve heard about this economic tsunami that has swept through the magical world, even though I live in seclusion here.” Nicolas Flamel spoke calmly and melodiously, first praising Li Lin, “He is a remarkable young talent who was able to save the lives of so many British wizards during this crisis. He will surely be recorded in history.”

"I have been fortunate enough to live for many years and have gained some knowledge, but I am certainly not as intelligent as a young person. I originally wanted to invite you here for a brief exchange to answer some of your questions, and I think these questions are most likely related to the Philosopher's Stone."

He paused here, his eyes, hidden behind his hooked nose, fixed intently on Li Lin, or more precisely, on the crowbar in Li Lin's hand.

“But things are different now, very different.” Nicolas Flamel asked bluntly, “I’m sorry to ask the question first, but this magical weapon in your hand seems to have been forged using a special method?”

134. Li Lin, rarely serious

“Or to put it another way…” Nicolas Flamel placed his hands on his knees, his eyes fixed on Li Lin’s crowbar with clear eyes, “It’s already a part of your body, isn’t it?”

Li Lin narrowed his eyes slightly: "Yes, it's very beautiful."

On the dark green tabletop, a brand-new card was flipped over. Against a shimmering, golden background, abstract strokes depicted a sprightly old man. He had no facial features, and his smooth white hair cascaded over his shoulders. The old man's index finger and thumb were extended, and in his palm he held a captivating crimson gem.

[Nico Flamel, the "Grandmaster"]

[Rank: Third Mark]

[Nature/Appearance: Casting, Lamp]

Nicolas Flamel steadfastly walked the path he had chosen, and ahead lay a bright future.

[The "Grand Master" Nicolas Flamel believed in the principle of equivalent substitution, and he was also adept at deciphering the cryptic messages in mirrors and the celestial phenomena of the sun and moon. He was skilled in lighting, but even more so in casting.]

When Nicolas Flamel possesses the Philosopher's Stone, he will be considered an incomplete immortal!

“The Philosopher’s Stone gave me a lot of time, so I’ve learned a lot.” Nicolas Flamel laughed, his voice growing louder. “You seem to know nothing about alchemy.”

“As long as I recognize my own weakness, I will be invincible,” Li Lin replied, seemingly unrelated to the question.

The Grandmaster smiled and shook his head. His eyes were clear, like a sky that had been cleansed.

"Yes, yes, knowing oneself is the first lesson in alchemy."

“I have always believed in the principle of equivalent substitution... I think it would be reasonable to exchange my alchemy skills for your forging method.”

Li Lin withdrew his gaze, looked the old man, who was rumored to have crafted the Philosopher's Stone, up and down, and suddenly realized: "Oh, he's a neutral NPC who gives out quests. I'll accept it then."

Nicolas Flamel, who didn't quite understand what Li Lin was saying, felt a sense of unease. This young man seemed a bit off...

After clearing his throat, this grandmaster, one of the most outstanding in the entire history of magic, snapped his fingers, and a wall automatically flipped over. As Nicolas Flamel's fingers moved, lines of Latin were written on the wall.

"As is well known, the term alchemy originated in ancient Egypt, initially when sorcerers attempted to disguise base metals as precious metals."

Nicolas Flamel pointed to the line of Latin formulas: "For example, an alloy made of copper and zinc can be very close to gold in appearance and hardness."

"The most important thing the Egyptians left to alchemy is the Emerald Book, which is a key engraved on a jade tablet. It is the world's earliest alchemical text, from which all alchemy originated."

"Then, time came to the ancient Greek era. The greatest contribution of those philosophers to alchemy was the philosophization of alchemy. The three wise men of the Athenian school, well known to the world, inspired the theory of elements in primitive alchemy."

At this point, Nicolas Flamel paused and looked at Li Lin, "You don't even know what element theory is, do you?"

"Of course I know that," Li Lin said, stubbornly denying his guilt and changing the subject.

Nicolas Flamel certainly could see that Li Lin was completely unaware of this.

“Well, it seems you need to brush up on your skills.” Nicolas Flamel chuckled. “But that’s fine too, I think we now have a basis for a deal.”

He raised his hand, and a black-clad servant, powered by alchemy, placed a slightly yellowed manuscript in his grasp.

“Part of my manuscript was written on the eve of forging the Philosopher’s Stone,” Nicolas Flamel said. “There is no shortcut in forging the Philosopher’s Stone, and my actions at the time were almost suicidal, so this can be considered my will.”

[Esoteric Buddhist Text: The Testament of Nicholas]

Written in Latin by the French alchemist Nicolas Flamel on the eve of creating the Philosopher's Stone, this document has often been found in manuscript form elsewhere, and is rumored to contain the key to immortality.

This manuscript primarily records the alchemist's skills inspired by a radiant angel. It views alchemy as essentially a "transformation of things." The book details numerous alchemical techniques beyond human comprehension, describing the profound meanings hidden behind alchemy and astrology with remarkable detail and practicality...

[Complete reading will grant you access to the incomplete manual, the fourth-tier secret technique of the Forging Realm.]

[After reading the entire book, there's a chance you'll become completely engrossed.]

Li Lin glanced at the manuscript, his eyes revealing undisguised greed.

Nicolas Flamel was not surprised at all, and he would even have a headache if Li Lin was not interested—the Philosopher's Stone could not be traded.

But Li Lin wouldn't hand over the crowbar. After all, the crowbar was, in a sense, his leverage. It would be nice for Nian Huihan to hold it, but it would be much better if Nicolas Flamel were to play with it...

Li Lin, who had no moral bottom line, suddenly felt a chill.

However, Nicholas's Will was very important to him. As the culmination of all alchemy in the Harry Potter world, the value of this esoteric text was even acknowledged by the system.

“I need an alchemy workshop.” Li Lin sat in a chair, tapping his forehead lightly with a crowbar. “This crowbar is part of my body, so I can’t give it to you, but I will soon be crafting another artifact… You can watch the whole process.”

He had a premonition that he would forge a second artifact here, thus stepping into the second mark.

“Well, I think that’s fair enough, isn’t it?” Nicolas Flamel said with a smile. “After all, what I gave up wasn’t the most precious thing, so it’s yours. Also, your alchemy workshop is at the very end of this porch. If you want to begin your forging process, you can have your alchemy servant notify me.”

He handed the manuscript to Li Lin, then turned around and wheeled himself out the door.

With the departure of the Grandmaster, a certain immense and invisible pressure also dissipated.

It was an alchemical array that covered most of Devonshire. It was intricate and complex, with each part linked to the earth's veins, yet it was centered around the entire manor.

The entire estate revolves around Nicolas Flamel himself, making it a place where a change in one part can have far-reaching consequences.

After Nicolas Flamel had completely returned to his room, an alchemical servant appeared at the door and led Li Lin to a long-abandoned alchemical workshop.

Nicolas Flamel was not a lonely old man; he had taken on some apprentices, but in the eyes of a grandmaster like him, those apprentices were far too incompetent.

When these apprentices died for various reasons, these former alchemy workshops were left vacant.