Professor McGonagall: You Smell So Good!

Early the next morning.

Harry, Ron, and the others were sleeping groggily when Rhine woke them.

"Guys, get up quickly. First period is Professor McGonagall's class."

"You don't want to be late on the first day, do you?"

The next second, Harry and the others were wide awake.

After seeing Professor McGonagall yesterday, they had all understood that she was bound to be an extremely strict professor.

More importantly, Professor McGonagall was the head of their Gryffindor House.

If they were late for their very first class, they would be in serious trouble.

A few minutes later, Harry, Ron, Neville, and Seamus hurriedly washed up, then followed Rhine through the common room and into the corridor, searching for the stairs leading to the Transfiguration classroom.

But before long, despair appeared in their eyes.

Hogwarts had a full one hundred and forty-two staircases, and they were constantly shifting. Even older students could get lost, let alone freshmen like them.

Watching the constantly moving staircases, Harry and the others felt their heads spinning.

What made their faces turn even paler was that Filch was standing guard by the staircase near Gryffindor.

Ron said in a low voice.

"That's Filch, the castle caretaker."

"Back home, I always heard Fred and George complain about him. They said he's the most detestable person in Hogwarts Castle and is always making trouble for students."

"But do you know what the key thing is? If Fred and George talked about another professor like that, my parents would have told them off ages ago. But when it comes to Filch, they just let it slide. They actually let it slide!"

"We're done for. He's definitely going to pick on us."

Yet Rhine walked over to Filch with a smile and greeted him.

"Good morning, Mr. Filch."

Filch paused, then awkwardly spat out a reply.

"Good morning."

Then he pointed at a staircase.

"The way to the Transfiguration classroom is this way."

The smile on Rhine's face widened.

With his memory, he had long since memorized where every staircase led and the patterns of their movements.

He just had not expected Filch to be standing here so early.

Was he waiting to give directions?

"Thank you, Mr. Filch."

Rhine pulled Ron and the others along as they climbed the staircase Filch had pointed out.

Ron and the others still found it hard to believe.

"Filch gave us directions?"

"Merlin's beard, he didn't deliberately point us down the wrong path so we'd be late, did he?"

But while they were still uncertain, the staircase had already carried them to the door of the Transfiguration classroom.

Rhine blinked.

"So, some things might just be rumors that got exaggerated."

"If we showed a little more understanding and support for Mr. Filch's work and greeted him, perhaps he wouldn't seem so cold."

Ron and the others only half understood, but their attention was soon drawn to something else.

Quite a few students had gathered in front of the Transfiguration classroom's lectern, all staring at a Tabby Cat perched on it.

"She's so pretty."

"Is she a cat raised in the castle?"

Rhine and the others also walked over and joined the crowd.

A message refreshed on the system screen before Rhine's eyes.

The Investiture of the Gods Tribulation is about to begin. The Chan Sect Golden Immortals of Jade Void Palace have gathered together to preach the Dao for seven years to disciples such as you who have newly entered the sect. This is a great opportunity rarely found in the Primordial. Host, please cherish it!

You have arrived at Daoist Cihang's lecture site. Daoist Cihang is proficient in the Dao of transformations and Dharma bodies. His cultivation is among the highest even among the Chan Sect Golden Immortals, and he is the person most likely to sever the Three Corpses and become a Quasi-Saint. If you are fortunate enough to befriend Daoist Cihang, the benefits will be endless.

Form an Acquaintance with Daoist Cihang to obtain the talent—All Things Manifest. This talent allows you to perceive the yin-yang transformations of all things and grants astonishing aptitude in transformation arts. So long as your cultivation is sufficient, you may perform countless transformations with ease.

Form a Close Friendship with Daoist Cihang to obtain the reward—Pure Vajra Bottle Refinement Method. This bottle is an exceptionally powerful spatial magic treasure of the Primordial, with endless wondrous uses. It can take enemies into the bottle and refine them into bloody water, or hold the waters of three rivers and four seas, condensing immortal water that can revive the dead and regrow flesh on bare bones.

Form a Life-and-Death Friendship with Daoist Cihang to obtain the reward—External Incarnation divine ability. With this divine ability, you can split off countless incarnations and multiply your combat power. It is also immensely beneficial for cultivation. When developed to its utmost limit, it can even split off one's own Three Corpses and help one cross the threshold into Quasi-Sainthood. Few Chan Sect Golden Immortals can cultivate such a divine ability.

As Rhine read the information, his eyes burned with excitement.

As expected of Professor McGonagall. She had indeed been judged as a figure on the level of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, and one who was particularly versed in the Dao of transformations: Daoist Cihang.

Not many people might know of Daoist Cihang.

But after the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, Daoist Cihang entered the Western Sect, where his Dharma name became the famous Guanyin Bodhisattva!

Such a figure was first-rate even among the Chan Sect Golden Immortals.

The richness of these rewards truly left Rhine speechless.

Just the reward for becoming an Acquaintance—the All Things Manifest talent—was likely inferior only to Rhine's Achieve Vajra Indestructible Body talent.

If he could obtain similar talents later and fuse them together, he might even create a talent stronger than this one.

As for the Pure Vajra Bottle Refinement Method and the External Incarnation divine ability that came afterward, there was no need to say more. They were both treasures that Immortal Gods would fight over to the death!

Rhine looked at Professor McGonagall and took a deep breath.

He was determined to become friends with Professor McGonagall.

At that moment, some young wizards could no longer restrain themselves and eagerly wanted to touch Professor McGonagall.

But Professor McGonagall had long been prepared. A stern look from her immediately intimidated them.

Some young wizards took out sausages left over from breakfast, attempting to lure Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall merely gave them the same stern look.

What a joke. They thought sausages could tempt her?

This year's Gryffindors were not very bold.

Professor McGonagall remembered that there had once been an exceptionally daring student who tried to pet her with catnip. That time, she had nearly made a complete fool of herself.

From then on, whenever she used this Animagus trick on new students, Professor McGonagall made sure to take precautions beforehand.

Catnip, silvervine—she guarded against all of it in advance!

When the bell rang, Professor McGonagall would transform from her Animagus form back into a human and etch the wonder of Transfiguration into the young wizards' minds.

She had already rehearsed her opening remarks several times in her head.

But just then, Rhine said fondly.

"Kitty, you're so cute."

"Come on, let me pet you."

Then Rhine slowly reached a hand toward Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall glared at Rhine, but failed to intimidate him. Instead, she herself hesitated for a moment.

It was better not to raise her paw at a young wizard. Perhaps she should just dodge.

But at that moment, a peculiar scent mixed with an intimate aura wafted from Rhine's palm into Professor McGonagall's mind.

The defenses she had prepared against petting tactics like catnip and silvervine all failed the instant that aura reached her.

How could the Beast Taming Sect of the Primordial's methods for dealing with spirit beasts be resisted by such little tricks?

Professor McGonagall's pupils instantly lost focus.

What is that smell...

Rhine...

He smells so good!