Stepping into the Room of Requirement,
Theodore's gaze first fell upon the yet-to-be-claimed reward—the Eight-Nine Mystical Art.
The diadem was here. It wasn't going anywhere.
Still, Theodore was now extremely cautious about matters related to the Four Founders.
Especially the diadem—its significance was far too great.
After the four founders successively left Hogwarts and vanished without a trace, only Rowena Ravenclaw remained.
Yet not long after the diadem was lost, Lady Ravenclaw fell gravely ill and soon died under a cloud of mystery.
If the Four Founders had all been forced to take drastic measures because of that mad, corrupting presence, then Ravenclaw was clearly the one who endured the longest.
And that likely had everything to do with the diadem's ability to enhance wisdom and keep the wearer's mind calm.
Perhaps it was precisely this effect that allowed Lady Ravenclaw to resist that madness longer than the other three.
The loss of the diadem itself was almost tragic.
Ravenclaw's daughter—Helena Ravenclaw, later known as the Grey Lady—stole it out of jealousy, hoping to prove she was wiser than her mother, and fled to the forests of Albania.
Lady Ravenclaw later sent Bloody Baron to retrieve both her daughter and the diadem.
Instead, driven by twisted love and hatred, he murdered Helena—and then took his own life.
From that point on, the diadem was lost in the Albanian wilderness.
It was only after Voldemort enrolled at Hogwarts that he coaxed its location out of Helena's ghost.
Thus, the diadem finally returned to Hogwarts—but nearly a thousand years too late. Its rightful owner was long dead.
Theodore pondered this carefully and felt something was… off.
As if some invisible hand had deliberately prevented the diadem from returning to Lady Ravenclaw.
Though the Founders' era had long passed and many truths were buried by time, caution was never a mistake.
Before touching the diadem, it would be wiser to strengthen himself.
The Eight-Nine Mystical Art was a supreme body-refinement technique. Combined with its myriad transformation abilities, mastering it would raise Theodore's strength to an entirely new level.
He spoke softly in his mind.
"System, claim the Eight-Nine Mystical Art."
In the next instant, the reward activated.
Vast torrents of information surged into Theodore's mind.
Yet compared to before, he was no longer the same.
Even with the overwhelming depth of the Eight-Nine Mystical Art, he merely frowned briefly, steadied himself, and absorbed it completely.
About half an hour later, the full technique had taken shape in his consciousness.
This art was profoundly mysterious—impossible to master without extraordinary comprehension.
In the Mythic Era, only Yang Jian and Yuan Hong were clearly recorded as having mastered it.
Relying on it, both achieved legendary feats during the great tribulation. Yang Jian even went on to sanctify his flesh and become the Heavenly Court's God of War.
Its power was self-evident.
Yet Theodore's current comprehension was far beyond ordinary limits.
With the Microscopic Heavenly Eye active, he perceived every principle and hidden mechanism with absolute clarity.
More importantly, he realized that his Indestructible Vajra Body talent gave him an unparalleled advantage in cultivating this art.
A body-sanctifying foundation was effectively top-tier aptitude for the Eight-Nine Mystical Art.
What might take others a lifetime to even approach was, for Theodore, no longer insurmountable.
He focused.
The Origin Sea within him surged—its power purer and more vast than the art itself required.
Golden light blossomed across his body.
Divine radiance shone in his eyes.
The Eight-Nine Mystical Art entered the beginner stage instantly.
Boom—!
Explosive sounds rippled through his flesh and blood.
The golden glow intensified.
His already terrifying physical strength surged dramatically.
That wasn't all.
His defensive ability skyrocketed—and fundamentally changed in nature.
Previously, he relied on brute resistance through the Vajra Body.
But the Eight-Nine Mystical Art allowed one to transform in accordance with all things, grasping the principles of mutual generation and restraint.
There were virtually no things in heaven or earth that could counter its defense.
Once activated, it was truly indestructible.
Additionally, it greatly enhanced regeneration.
In mythic records, Yang Jian had once been beheaded—only for a new head to grow instantly.
Even at the entry level, Theodore's survivability had increased by an entire order of magnitude.
Even his lifespan changed.
With the Heavenly Eye, he could clearly sense it—
his life expectancy had already exceeded a thousand years.
If he continued cultivating, achieving longevity equal to heaven and earth was no longer a fantasy.
Theodore exhaled slowly.
Even after gaining so many extraordinary abilities, the Eight-Nine Mystical Art still astonished him.
Now—
He truly possessed a cultivation technique.
Even by mythic standards, he could be considered a genuine cultivator.
After familiarizing himself with the changes, Theodore re-entered the Room of Requirement.
This time, mountains of clutter appeared before him.
Contraband hidden by students over a thousand years.
Among them were numerous Dark Magic items—most long since inert.
Walking through the piles, Heavenly Eye active, Theodore soon locked onto a direction.
There—
A dusty diadem lay quietly.
His gaze sharpened.
He examined it carefully, wary of hidden dangers.
Fortunately, it showed no trace of that maddening corruption.
Even after being turned into a Horcrux, Voldemort had not placed powerful protective enchantments upon it—simply hiding it here.
Theodore exhaled in relief.
Black Fiendfyre churned in his palm.
Then—he paused.
His danger-avoidance instinct sent a faint warning.
Destroying only the soul fragment, while restoring the diadem itself, seemed… better.
After brief consideration, Theodore dismissed the idea of total destruction.
This artifact of the Founders might yet play a role.
But separating a soul fragment from a Horcrux without damaging the object—
That was magic he had never encountered.
Over the next few days, Theodore scoured the Restricted Section.
He even found forbidden books about Horcruxes.
Yet none described safely extracting a soul fragment.
After another fruitless night, he frowned.
"The magical world's understanding of souls is still too shallow."
"If magic alone won't work…"
"Is there a mythic ability that could?"
Lost in thought, Theodore wandered the corridors late at night.
A pale figure drifted past him.
"Little wizard," a cold voice said,
"Hogwarts isn't safe lately. The Headmaster forbids night wandering. Go back."
Theodore looked up.
It was the Bloody Baron.
At the same time, system text appeared:
You wander near the Jade Void Palace and encounter an Underworld Judge.
He warns that the tribulation approaches and advises you to remain uninvolved.
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