All Hallows' Eve

As Lin Yuan finished this final analysis, he slowly let out a breath.

In his eyes, there was no ecstasy from finding the truth, but rather a hint of pity and warning, like a cultivator looking at someone who had gone astray.

"So that's how it is... This world's longevity is nothing more than a delusion, drinking poison to quench thirst."

He understood.

The Magic Stone, to him, held its greatest value not in its use.

But in studying it, analyzing it, and discerning the laws of "material reconstruction" and "life replenishment" contained within it.

Then, he would discard its poisonous dregs, absorb the essence of its law's application, and finally integrate it all to forge a truly brilliant Dao, one that belonged to him alone, leading to eternal immortality!

The tail end of October, like a falcon dyed crimson-gold by the autumn wind, circled silently above Hogwarts.

The sweet scent of pumpkins began to permeate every corner of the castle, the ghosts were more active than usual, and even Peeves's pranks carried a hint of festive cheer.

Halloween, the carnival belonging to the magical world, was drawing nearer day by day.

However, all this clamor and anticipation had nothing to do with that corner deep within the library.

This place was where time stood still, an eternal sanctuary of knowledge, and Lin Yuan's "Dao field."

Spread out before him was an ancient tome bound in the hard leather of some unknown reptile—Guardians, Traps, and Eternal Curses.

The pages were adorned with intricate and malevolent magic circles, and the text exuded a chilling, dark magic aura that made one's heart palpitate.

Any ordinary student, even just by flipping open this book, would have their mind corrupted by the malice contained within, leading to a week of nightmares.

But Lin Yuan's gaze was as calm as a thousand-year-old well.

His Divine Soul was dismantling, analyzing, and modeling these so-called "eternal curses" with extreme efficiency.

"[Corpse Rebirth Charm]: A low-grade necromantic spell that forcibly activates residual life information within a corpse to create an unintelligent puppet. The energy conversion rate is low, and it is easily countered by Purification spells. Assessment: Inferior."

"[Soul Shriek Trap]: Severs a portion of the victim's soul fragments and seals them within a specific area. When a living being intrudes, the soul fragments emit high-frequency shrieks, causing mental shock. Hmm... this concept is somewhat interesting and can serve as a basic reference for studying "soul attacks." But the method is too crude; the soul-severing technique causes irreversible damage to the specimen, affecting its subsequent research value."

"[Cerberus Taming and Pacification Manual]:... A low-tier subspecies with bloodline tracing back to the hellhound Cerberus. Habits: Gluttonous, loves to sleep, reacts strongly to music... especially classical harp-like instruments, quickly entering a deep sleep state. Weaknesses: The three heads cannot coordinate effectively, easily fall into infighting, and possess low intelligence..."

"Found it."

Lin Yuan slowly closed the book, his fingertip gently tapping the cover.

The black magic book, which had been whispering silently and trying to exude malice, instantly froze as if struck by lightning, becoming as quiet as an ordinary copy of the Standard Book of Spells, Elementary.

Based on his memories, he had theoretically deduced all possible guarding stages Dumbledore might have set up using "traditional magic" no less than a hundred times.

From low-level binding spells to high-level transformed creature guards, and even utilizing the habits of magical creatures... all possibilities had been constructed into a vast, readily accessible database within his sea of consciousness.

He knew that the red stone, containing the secrets of this world's "longevity" and "creation" laws, lay at the end of that fourth-floor corridor designated as a restricted area.

And tonight, the eve of Halloween, was the optimal time for "on-site reconnaissance."

The castle's dinner was always filled with a sense of ceremony.

On the ceiling, hundreds of thousands of jack-o'-lanterns had replaced the usual candles. Each pumpkin was carved into a grotesque face of varying forms, and the dim firelight flickered within, casting the entire Great Hall in a bizarre, kaleidoscopic glow.

Harry and Ron were gleefully piling Pumpkin Pasties and toffee pudding onto their plates, while Hermione, standing beside them, worriedly reminded them not to eat too many sweets, lest it affect their digestion tonight and their studies tomorrow.

Lin Yuan merely took a few symbolic bites of roast chicken; his attention was long gone from these delicious foods.

His Divine Soul, like an invisible net, enveloped the entire hall.

He could clearly sense that at the high table, Professor Quirrell, wearing his purple turban, was emitting soul fluctuations mixed with fear, cowardice, and another cold, tyrannical, and resentful aura that did not belong to him. These fluctuations were more active than usual.

"The script is about to begin," he understood inwardly.

As expected, just as the desserts were being served, Professor Quirrell, who had disappeared at some point, stumbled into the center of the Great Hall.

His face, already pale, was now completely bloodless, his turban askew, his eyes filled with genuine terror.

"A troll—! In... in the dungeons—!"

He screamed these words with all his might, then, very "professionally," rolled his eyes and fainted dead away.

The entire hall instantly fell into a deathly silence.

The next second, screams, cries, and the sound of plates falling erupted like an exploding pot, completely igniting the panic.

"Quiet!" Dumbledore's majestic voice, like a stabilizing needle, instantly suppressed all the chaos.

He stood up, and purple fireworks from his wand drew everyone's attention to him.

"Prefects, immediately lead your house students back to your respective common rooms!"

The students began to move out in an orderly fashion under the guidance of the Prefects.

Harry and Ron exchanged a terrified glance in the crowd, then Harry suddenly remembered something, his face changing drastically: "Hermione! She doesn't know about the troll, she's still crying in the girls' lavatory!"

They looked at each other, immediately broke away from the main group, and rushed against the flow of people towards the dungeons.

On the other side, Lin Yuan's figure had long since vanished like a wisp of smoke into the shadows leading upstairs, heading in the opposite direction from everyone else.

"Foolish."

His Divine Soul sensed Harry and Ron's anxious and reckless actions, and his heart gave them a two-word assessment.

"A perfect stratagem, orchestrated by the Black Demon himself, to lure the tiger away from its mountain. All attention was drawn to the troll being used as a tool. The real target, however, was the unguarded, weakest point on the fourth-floor corridor."

Lin Yuan's footsteps made no sound.

He was like a Ghost walking the line between reality and illusion, effortlessly evading all the panicked students and the professors rushing to the scene.

Soon, he arrived at the legendary fourth-floor corridor, designated as a restricted area.

At the end of the corridor was an ordinary oak door, secured with a seemingly sturdy lock.

But that lock, along with the simple Prohibition Charm attached to the door, was as good as nonexistent in Lin Yuan's eyes.