A Pass to the Forbidden Section

October had deepened into autumn in the Scottish Highlands.

Golden sunlight streamed through the enormous Gothic arched windows of the Hogwarts library, dyeing the floating dust in the air with a shifting golden glow and falling quietly upon the aged tome lying open before Lin Yuan, its pages yellowed with time.

Several weeks had passed since the start of term, and Lin Yuan had become the most unusual sight in this ocean of knowledge.

Like a tireless statue, he devoted every moment outside of necessary classes and meals to the rows of silent bookshelves.

Even Madam Pince—the library's highest authority, known for her foul temper—had shifted from initial vigilance and suspicion to a complicated attitude of tacit approval, even tinged with appreciation.

She had never seen a student with such pure, fervent, yet calm thirst for knowledge itself.

At that moment, the heavy book open before him was titled Directory of Important Alchemists of the 20th Century.

Ever since he had sneaked into the Forbidden Section and found clues about Nicolas Flamel and the Magic Stone, Lin Yuan had been searching for more leads.

His dark eyes calmly swept across one familiar or unfamiliar name after another, while his soul was like a vast net cast across an endless sea of data, frantically linking and deducing those names against memories from another world and the information from the thousands of books he had devoured over the past weeks.

"Gellert Grindelwald... obsessed with ancient relics. Once attempted to lay hands on the ultimate creation of alchemy, but failed."

"Albus Dumbledore... discoverer of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, though his research leaned more toward 'application' and 'protection' than 'creation.'"

"Bowman Wright... inventor of Felix Felicis. He touched upon the surface of the laws of fortune, but the essence of his potion was a temporary 'deception' of the Law of Causality, costly and unsustainable."

One name after another was caught in the net of his soul, swiftly analyzed, classified, and discarded.

They were all powerful and intelligent, but their paths ran contrary to the "eternity" Lin Yuan sought.

Then, an exceedingly minor clue, almost buried beneath the dust of history, surfaced.

In A Study of Medieval Magical Trade, a footnote concerning goblin coinage rights contained this passage: "...During negotiations over a trade agreement with the Paris Ministry of Magic, the goblin elders repeatedly complained of a mysterious patron whose seemingly inexhaustible reserves of gold had nearly disrupted Galleon exchange rates across all of Europe. The goblins suspected that he had mastered the secret of turning stone into gold, and privately called him 'Mr. Stone'..."

Paris. Turning stone into gold.

The two keywords instantly illuminated a dormant region within Lin Yuan's sea of consciousness.

His Soul Power suddenly accelerated, expanding the scope of his search from "alchemists" to every potentially related field, including "art collectors," "rumors of long-lived wizards," and "histories of ancient estates."

Before long, more fragments came together.

Guide to Wizarding Opera Appreciation mentioned: "...The great composer Mozart once received an anonymous letter from Paris. Written in the tone of an elder, it pointed out a subtle flaw in one of his chord transitions and enclosed an ancient Roman coin as encouragement. Mozart was utterly baffled, for the theory behind that chord was his own original creation and had never been disclosed to anyone..."

A Century of European Magical Architecture contained a blurry black-and-white photograph. In the background stood the Eiffel Tower under construction, while in one corner of the photo, the back of a gentleman in a top hat stood beside a lady. The caption read: "...The renowned opera enthusiast Mr. Nicolas and his wife Pernelle witness the birth of a new era..."

Nicolas... Pernelle...

When those two names appeared, Lin Yuan's memories from the other world finally aligned perfectly with the clues from this one.

Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Pernelle LeMay.

The legendary alchemist who had successfully created the Magic Stone.

"Found it."

Lin Yuan slowly closed the book, and the calm in his eyes was replaced by a scorching gleam.

The Magic Stone.

Turning stone into gold. Brewing the Elixir of Life.

To the wizards of this world, it might represent endless wealth and an extended lifespan. But to Lin Yuan, a cultivator, its significance went far beyond that.

"'Turning stone into gold' is not mere Matter Transmutation. Its essence lies in the complete 'reconstruction' and 'encoding' of the underlying laws governing the two substances, 'gold' and 'stone.' It bears similarities to what I did in Transfiguration class, but it is clearly a more advanced, more stable manifestation—one closer to the Dao. It is not temporary 'transfiguration,' but permanent 'creation'!"

"And the 'Elixir of Life'... that is the true key. How exactly does it 'prevent death'? Does it replenish life essence? Repair the depletion of the soul? Or does it... reverse the process of entropy increasing within a Lifeform over time?"

Each question was like a door leading into the hall of truth, making Lin Yuan's long-dormant heart that sought the Dao pound fiercely.

He knew that this tiny red stone was the most perfect "key" for him to unravel this world's Life Law and Material Law.

He had to obtain it.

For research, for analysis, and so that he could completely transform this unfamiliar magical "art" into a "law" upon his own great path to the heavens!

And according to the prophetic memories he possessed as a transmigrator, that key was currently at Hogwarts! Dumbledore had hidden it in a place guarded by layer upon layer of trials.

At the same time, coveting it was the Dark Lord, barely clinging to life on the back of Professor Quirrell's head.

"Excellent. The board has been set, and the pieces are in place."

Lin Yuan's eyes gleamed with the calm, sharp light of a chess player.

He needed more information, more essential materials. The ordinary reading area could no longer provide them.

His gaze turned once more toward the deepest part of the library.

That area separated by a solitary brass chain, radiating an air of taboo and decay—the Forbidden Section.

Sneaking in once had been enough. If he chose to infiltrate it every time, not only would accidents be more likely, but it would also place no small burden on his soul.

He needed a pass.

A legitimate pass, issued by the highest authorities of Hogwarts.

Several candidates immediately appeared in Lin Yuan's mind.

Professor Flitwick? He thought highly of him, but a Charms master's authority was likely insufficient to grant him unrestricted access to the most essential alchemical texts.

Professor McGonagall? She was rigorous and fair. If he used the "Ultimate Conjecture of Transfiguration" to persuade her, he had a seventy percent chance of success. But... that would also push him into Dumbledore's line of sight too soon. None of Professor McGonagall's unusual actions could escape the White Wizard's notice. Before he possessed the strength to contend with the strongest being in this world, too much attention was a burden.

That left only the final option—the most dangerous one, but perhaps also the most effective.

Severus Snape.

That gloomy, caustic Potions Mastery master, whose heart was filled with secrets and pain.

A meaningful curve lifted at the corner of Lin Yuan's mouth.