"Chapter 28"
"Finally, it's over..."
Li Mu watched Dumbledore being swallowed by Fiendfyre, his wand constantly casting All Spells End.
The Fiendfyre was gradually quelled, and the Phoenix was put away again.
Phoenix Fawkes, protected by the Phoenix's Tail Feather, had no more reason to fear the Fiendfyre. With a mournful cry, he flew toward Dumbledore's ashes. But halfway there, he was hit by an Imperius Curse. A moment later, he flew blankly into Li Mu's outstretched palm.
Flames appeared in Li Mu's palm, and the fused Mind Wizard Professional HuoZhong emerged from his hand.
The Professional HuoZhong enveloped Phoenix Fawkes. In only a moment, Phoenix Fawkes was completely devoured by it. His Wizard Bloodline, which had only been LV5, rose to LV9 in a short time. The increase in his Wizard Bloodline also greatly strengthened Li Mu's mind and body.
But the biggest changes were the substantial increase in his maximum Magic Power and the boost his phoenix bloodline gave to several spells.
Apparition, which had previously reached only LV6 at most, was now at least LV8.
He also felt that he could use Apparition inside Hogwarts now. The restrictions preventing human wizards from Apparating there no longer affected him, because his Apparition was becoming more and more like the ability naturally possessed by a phoenix.
He also sensed that his Wizard Bloodline had reached its limit at LV9.
If it grew any further, he might even turn into a phoenix.
That was much like the origin of Werewolves in this world. At first, they had been a group of humans who used Wizard Potions to merge with the bloodline of Magic Wolves. But the Magic Wolf bloodline was highly contagious, so the wolf genes inside human wizards kept corrupting their human genes.
Eventually, the wolf genes completely overwhelmed the human ones, and Werewolves came into being in the Wizarding World.
So if his phoenix bloodline continued to grow stronger, he would also become a phoenix.
To the wizards of this world, reaching Wizard Bloodline LV10 meant giving up their human identity and becoming a Magical Creature.
But for him, his Wizard Bloodline was borne by his Professional HuoZhong; it didn't actually change his genes. So even if his Wizard Bloodline reached LV10, he would simply gain a transformation spell that let him become a Magical Creature, much like an Animagus.
However, even absorbing an entire phoenix wasn't enough to cross that final threshold.
By his conservative estimate, he would need at least one thousand HuoZhong Source Power to raise his Wizard Bloodline to LV10.
Even at Wizard Bloodline LV9, though, he was already no weaker than Dumbledore at the height of his power in his youth. In terms of maximum Magic Power, he had even surpassed Dumbledore. If they fought again now, Li Mu could easily gain the upper hand.
The physical enhancement from his Wizard Bloodline wouldn't happen all at once. It would take at least a few days to finish.
So Li Mu didn't rush to check how his attributes had changed. Instead, he focused on the HuoZhong taking shape not far away.
After Dumbledore died, a HuoZhong had formed among his ashes.
As the ceiling of this magical world, his death was certainly worthy of a HuoZhong reward from Gaia.
Li Mu stepped forward and picked up the HuoZhong, along with the Elder Wand beside it, its surface charred by the Fiendfyre.
[HuoZhong Name: Mind Wizard Inheritance HuoZhong (Inactive)]
[Attribute: Generates a Mind Wizard Professional HuoZhong]
[Activation Condition 1: Completely conquer this world (Not met)]
[Activation Condition 2: Master the ability to mass-produce Wizard Potions (Met)]
[Activation Condition 3: 10,0000 cards of HuoZhong Source Power]
"Ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand... one hundred thousand..."
By the time he finished counting, Li Mu's eyes had gone blank.
He finally understood why Frostfire City had only one profession, the Frostfire Gunner.
Even the Frostfire Seed Destroyer didn't have enough HuoZhong Source Power to increase its level, let alone spare another hundred thousand cards to obtain a new profession. Even if he slaughtered every Alien Race in this world, he'd only get two or three thousand cards of HuoZhong Source Power at most.
It seemed that activating this Inheritance HuoZhong would require a long, arduous journey through other worlds.
Li Mu put away the Inheritance HuoZhong and entered the Phoenix with the Elder Wand's true form.
Like the Resurrection Stone, the Elder Wand, one of this world's Deathly Hallows, had also attracted the Sacrifice Seed's interest. Although its surface was charred, that shouldn't stop the Sacrifice Seed from absorbing the Mysterious White Aura it contained.
Inside the Sacrifice Chamber, Li Mu tossed the Elder Wand toward the Sacrifice Seed.
Even more Mysterious White Aura poured out of it than from the Resurrection Stone, and the Sacrifice Seed released more HuoZhong Source Power as well.
The Elder Wand, its surface charred moments earlier, instantly became a Spark Artifact.
Li Mu reached out and caught the Elder Wand expelled by the Sacrifice Seed, then used the Origin HuoZhong to check its attributes.
[Elder Wand: Spark Artifact]
[Level: LV1]
[Quality: Purple, Heaven Grade]
[Damage: 25]
[Attributes: Doubles maximum Magic Power; increases spell level by LV1; halves spellcasting difficulty; halves Magic Power cost]
[Enhancement Requirement: 100 cards of HuoZhong Source Power]
"Isn't its damage a little low?"
That was Li Mu's first thought when he saw its attributes.
But when he saw that it doubled maximum Magic Power and increased spell levels by LV1, he immediately understood why the Elder Wand was classified as a Purple, Heaven Grade Spark Artifact. Those two effects alone could more than double a powerful wizard's strength.
Seeing the enhancement requirement at the bottom, Li Mu immediately spent one hundred cards of HuoZhong Source Power.
The wand directly increased his strength, and what he needed most now was the power to rule the entire Wizarding World, with no one able to stand against him.
Although he was already no weaker than Dumbledore at the peak of his power, even Dumbledore couldn't defeat all the wizards in the world working together. So Li Mu needed to enhance the Elder Wand to further increase his strength.
[Elder Wand: Spark Artifact]
[Level: LV2]
[Quality: Purple, Heaven Grade]
[Damage: 30]
[Attributes: Triples maximum Magic Power; increases spell level by LV2; reduces spellcasting difficulty by three times; reduces Magic Power cost by three times]
[Enhancement Requirement: 200 cards of HuoZhong Source Power]
"Everything but the damage has doubled."
Li Mu gripped the Elder Wand excitedly.
His Transcendence Level was now LV2, allowing him to bear two Heaven Grade and two Earth Grade Acquired HuoZhong at once.
The Elder Wand occupied one Heaven Grade slot. The Resurrection Ring and Elf Wizard Robe were both Earth Grade, together equivalent to one Heaven Grade.
Two Profound Grade Professional HuoZhong were equivalent to one Earth Grade, and the Frostfire Rose and Human Skin Mask, also both Profound Grade, were equivalent to one Earth Grade.
Finally, the Spark Artifact Hogwarts occupied another Earth Grade slot. That was already beyond the limit of Acquired HuoZhong he could control. After giving it some thought, Li Mu severed his bond with the Frostfire Rose and Human Skin Mask, and replaced the HuoZhong Wand that had belonged to the hook-nosed wizard with the Elder Wand.
His Wizard Bloodline was now LV9, so he no longer gave the Frostfire Rose's killing power any consideration.
The same went for the Human Skin Mask. He no longer needed to hide his true face.
With the Elder Wand in hand, he could sweep across the entire British Wizarding World.
PS: Thanks to fellow reader [Book Friend 160627201626457] for the 100-tip donation.
Before you continue