As Theodore loosened the protections around his mind, the Mirror of Erised finally reflected the world hidden within his heart.
A vast, ancient heaven and earth appeared within the glass.
Beyond the Ninth Heaven, chaos churned. Beneath the Nine Netherworlds, reincarnation revolved. Rivers of stars surged across the firmament, endless and magnificent.
It was the Primordial World.
Theodore looked at that boundless realm in the mirror and fell into thought.
Ever since he had obtained the system, so-called inner demons had never truly troubled him. One talent after another had guarded his mind, suppressing evil influences and keeping his thoughts clear.
But that was not the same as a Dao heart.
A Dao heart was the foundation of one's path.
Why did one cultivate?
Some cultivated to uphold justice and slay demons. Some cultivated only to seek immortality. Some wanted nothing more than freedom and pleasure in one lifetime.
Theodore's gaze flickered.
"Then why do I cultivate?"
"Can this mirror give me the answer?"
As the thought rose, the scene inside the Mirror of Erised changed.
Clouds shifted. Seas dried. Time flowed.
Countless ages unfolded within the mirror.
And in every age, Theodore was there.
When ancient people carved paths through wilderness, he was there.
When the first tribes were born and the first kings were chosen, he was there.
When slavery gave way to feudal order, he was there.
When dynasties rose to their peak, decayed, collapsed, and gave birth to new systems, he was still there.
No matter how the world changed, no matter how many heroes came and went, Theodore sat calmly within the river of time, watching history with a smile.
He possessed endless knowledge.
He possessed endless years.
He was almost the history of that world itself.
Time brushed past him like a breeze, unable to leave even a trace.
"Immortality?"
"Even Golden Immortals in the Primordial World suffer calamities and tribulations. They are not truly undying."
"If I could obtain true immortality, that would indeed be wonderful."
"But do I cultivate only to live forever?"
"No. That is not it."
The mirror changed again.
This time, the Theodore within it moved through the world as a supreme strategist.
Among mortals, he could unite states, topple kingdoms, and reshape the world. Among immortals and gods, he could turn his hand to summon clouds and flip it to bring rain.
If he wished for a person or faction to vanish, they would inevitably disappear.
If he wished for a person or faction to rise, they would inevitably flourish.
The entire Primordial World bent beneath his will.
"Absolute power?"
Theodore shook his head.
"Interesting, but only barely."
The mirror kept changing.
Strength. Wealth. Beauty. Authority. Longevity. Freedom from death. Worship from all beings.
One desire after another appeared before him.
Theodore watched them all and questioned his own heart.
What was his Dao heart born for?
Within his Yuan Sea, waves began to rise. The spiritual ocean that usually moved according to his will suddenly surged as if a storm had formed within it.
Without realizing it, Theodore entered a state close to enlightenment.
Time passed.
Outside the mirror, Harry and Ron's initial curiosity gradually turned into anxiety.
"How long has it been?" Ron whispered.
"Almost an hour," Harry said, his face pale. "Theodore hasn't moved at all."
A terrifying thought appeared in both their minds.
Had Theodore been trapped by the Mirror of Erised?
The legends said someone had once stared into the mirror for decades, unable to escape its illusion. Would Theodore be the same?
Would he stand here for years?
Decades?
Unable to bear it any longer, Harry and Ron rushed forward to pull him away.
But before they could touch him, a gentle force pushed them back.
They tried again and again, but they could not get close.
Even their voices seemed to vanish before reaching Theodore, blocked by an invisible barrier.
Panicked, they turned to find Dumbledore.
But Dumbledore had already stepped out from the shadows.
His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with anxiety.
He had been observing from the darkness, but even he had not expected this.
Harry and Ron had both resisted the mirror's temptation. Yet Theodore had fallen into it?
That should not have been possible.
Even weak-willed wizards needed repeated exposure before becoming truly obsessed with the Mirror of Erised. With Theodore's mind and strength, how could he be trapped so quickly?
Dumbledore's heart sank.
He remembered the ancient story of Aphrodite, who had once been lost before such a mirror for decades.
For Theodore, this was the most precious period of growth. Even wasting months, let alone years, would be unbearable.
Dumbledore stepped forward. A tremendous pressure spread from his body as he waved the Elder Wand again and again, trying to draw Theodore away from the mirror.
Sparks and lightning scattered.
Yet Theodore remained still.
It was as if an invisible force guarded him. Even Dumbledore's magic could not move him.
"Disaster…"
Dumbledore's fingers tightened around the Elder Wand.
Regret surged through him.
Again.
It had happened again.
His need to guide, to test, to control, had placed another child in danger.
Perhaps he truly should never have held power. Perhaps he should never have become headmaster at all.
But no matter what, he had to fix this.
Even if he had to pay any price.
Dumbledore drew a deep breath. His blue eyes sharpened like blades.
Terrifying magic gathered at the tip of his wand.
A phoenix cry rang through the room.
A silver phoenix Patronus appeared, scattering brilliant golden-red fire as it surged toward Theodore.
Dumbledore's signature spell erupted.
"Fiendfyre's Path!"
Harry and Ron's minds went blank.
The power of that spell stunned them.
For one horrible instant, they feared Dumbledore might kill Theodore by accident.
But the next scene taught them how badly they had underestimated him.
Within the golden-red flames, a brighter golden light suddenly appeared.
It was like an immortal divine body, sacred and indestructible.
Theodore's hand passed lightly through the flames.
Then he flicked his finger.
In an instant, the blazing sea of fire was suppressed. The roaring flames folded inward and vanished.
Theodore turned his head. His eyes were vast and distant as he looked at Dumbledore.
"Professor Dumbledore, there's no need to panic."
"The Mirror of Erised cannot do anything to me."
"I merely wanted to see its limit. Along the way, I also thought through a few things."
He turned back to the mirror.
Within it, countless images appeared.
Immortality.
Authority.
Power.
Wealth.
Beauty.
Pleasure.
All of them flashed before his eyes.
Theodore murmured, "All of these are good things. Very good things. I like them all."
"But none of them are the whole reason I cultivate."
"Perhaps today, I may be obsessed with immortality."
"Perhaps tomorrow, I may be intoxicated by divine abilities."
"Perhaps the day after, I may want wine, songs, and beauties in my arms."
"And perhaps, after waking from that drunken dream, I may cast all of it aside and seek only the Dao."
"I understand now."
"I cultivate for two words."
"To follow my heart."
He paused, then shook his head.
"But following one's heart is easier said than done."
"Even in a place like the wizarding world, there are Old Ones hidden in the shadows, and above them, the chaotic existence the system calls Pangu. When that thing opens its eyes, perhaps all things will return to nothingness."
"Even here, following my heart is difficult."
"Then what of the Primordial World, where Saints exist, where tribulations sweep heaven and earth?"
"How can one truly follow one's heart?"
The Mirror of Erised began to twist.
The images inside shattered and overlapped, as if the mirror itself could no longer process what it had seen.
Theodore inhaled deeply.
Then his eyes opened fully.
"To follow my heart, there is only one path."
"Transcendence."
"Transcend the Ancestral Witches."
"Transcend the Heavenly Demons."
"Transcend Quasi-Saints."
"Transcend Saints. Transcend Hongjun."
"And even…"
"Transcend Pangu."
Deep cracks spread across the Mirror of Erised.
Then, with a sharp crack, the mirror shattered.
Theodore stood before the fragments, his gaze blazing.
"Only by surpassing everything can I act as I wish."
"This is my Dao heart."
The moment his words fell, his Yuan Sea erupted into waves ten thousand feet high.
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