As the Mirror of Erised shattered, lines of text appeared across Theodore's system screen.
Even if you pass through reincarnation ten thousand times, your Dao heart seeking great freedom and unfettered ease shall remain unchanged.
The Wheel of Reincarnation Mirror cannot measure the limits of your Dao heart. It has shattered in response.
Within Theodore's Yuan Sea, waves surged violently.
Then, at the very center of that vast spiritual ocean, the Yuan Sea's power began to collapse inward.
Before Theodore's astonished gaze, the condensed power rose from the sea and formed a divine mountain.
It towered over the center of the Yuan Sea, vast and immovable.
The moment the mountain appeared, Theodore felt as if his entire Yuan Sea had gained a true core.
The flow of his power became far smoother than before. Even his control over divine abilities and magical treasures became more natural, as though they had become extensions of his limbs.
Theodore suddenly understood.
So this was another benefit of clarifying one's Dao heart.
It organized the mind, the will, the mana, and the path.
No wonder higher-level cultivators valued the Dao heart so deeply. At a certain realm, a clear thought could matter more than pills, treasures, or divine abilities.
If the Dao heart wavered, strength would fall.
If the Dao heart shattered, even a mighty expert could collapse overnight.
Fortunately, Theodore possessed many talents that guarded his mind and stabilized his spirit. For a long time, he would not have to worry about his Dao heart being shaken.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
This trip to the Mirror of Erised had brought him a tremendous gain.
Then another thought surfaced.
"Perhaps the Mirror of Erised was not created merely to satisfy desire."
"In the age of ancient Greek myths, when the so-called Olympian gods still existed, perhaps those powerful ancient wizards used mirrors like this to temper their minds and repair spiritual flaws."
"Later generations became weaker as their bloodlines thinned. The proper use of the mirror was lost, and their wills became too fragile to endure it. That is why they began to see it only as a dangerous object that wastes one's life."
Theodore considered the idea and found it reasonable.
After all, why would anyone spend such effort creating an artifact like the Mirror of Erised just to let people drown in empty illusions?
A love potion, a Confundus Charm, or the Imperius Curse could do something similar far more easily.
It seemed the power of wizards truly had declined with time.
In the ancient age of myths, many so-called miracles may not have been myths at all.
They might have been history.
But Theodore soon set those thoughts aside.
Even if the return of the ancient world was inevitable, it would not happen overnight.
In the original timeline, even seventeen years after Harry defeated Voldemort, the wizarding world had shown no obvious signs of such a catastrophe.
In this life, his existence had caused countless changes. The Old Ones might awaken earlier, but there should still be several years, perhaps even a decade.
His current strength might be overwhelming by wizarding standards, but compared to true Primordial experts, he had only just entered the path.
There was still enormous room to grow.
For now, there was no need to panic.
He only had to focus on becoming stronger.
Theodore turned his attention back to the divine peak within his Yuan Sea.
The mountain had not merely improved his control over the Yuan Sea.
It seemed to have another use.
He could draw living things into it.
Theodore's heart quickened.
If that was true, then his Yuan Sea had taken another step toward becoming an independent world.
In the future, perhaps he could imitate Patriarch Minghe and create a race of his own within this inner world.
Within the Yuan Sea, he would be almost a creator.
The thought made his heart stir.
The benefits were not small.
In the Primordial World, Nüwa created humanity and gained enough merit to become a Saint. Patriarch Minghe created the Asura race and gained the merit that forged his path of slaughter through the Yuan Tu and Abi swords.
If Theodore could imitate that feat in the wizarding world, the merit he gained might be enough to make even Quasi-Saints jealous.
More importantly, having a small world of his own would help him comprehend the Five Elements, space, time, life, and creation.
For his current level, the benefit might not be obvious yet.
But the higher he climbed, the more valuable it would become.
For Great Overarching Golden Immortals, such a private world was something everyone desired. Otherwise, why would so many great experts fight over blessed lands and sacred mountains?
Theodore's smile deepened.
This gain was far greater than expected.
The others finally relaxed.
Dumbledore, Harry, and Ron had been watching him nervously. Seeing Theodore smile, they finally believed that nothing bad had happened.
Theodore returned to his senses and looked apologetic.
"Sorry for worrying you. I'm fine."
"The Mirror of Erised actually helped me quite a bit."
"Harry, Ron, go back and rest. You still have classes tomorrow."
Harry and Ron nodded at once.
After such a tense night, exhaustion finally caught up with them. They left quickly, yawning as they went.
They also understood that Theodore likely had something to say to Dumbledore.
Once they were gone, Theodore looked at Dumbledore with a complicated expression.
After a moment, he said, "Professor, about this Mirror of Erised…"
Dumbledore's face shifted. In the end, only guilt remained.
"You are the cleverest young wizard I have ever known. I believe you have already guessed why the mirror was here."
"If you wish to scold me, you may use the harshest words you know."
"I am only grateful that you were not harmed by it."
He drew a long breath, as if finally making a decision.
"I am not fit to remain headmaster of Hogwarts."
"This position has always been too much for me."
"I should never have been near power. Perhaps seclusion would be better."
"After I arrange the necessary handover, I will resign as headmaster."
"That will be my answer to you."
Theodore stared at him.
"Professor, wait. Who said anything about that?"
"You're doing perfectly fine. Why would you resign?"
He sounded almost anxious.
"If you resign, who is going to bring me so many useful opportunities?"
"Who will make up for all the chances I lose?"
Dumbledore froze.
"You… are not going to scold me?"
Theodore looked at him strangely.
"I wanted to ask whether I have to pay for breaking the Mirror of Erised."
"And if I don't have to pay for it, can I take the broken pieces?"
"The material is quite good. It would be a waste to throw it away. Better to keep good things in the family, right?"
Dumbledore's expression became blank.
"You have nothing else to say to me?"
"I nearly caused something terrible."
Theodore gave him an odd look.
"But nothing happened."
"And Professor, aren't you overestimating the mirror a little? Did you really think the Mirror of Erised could ruin me?"
"As for the rest…"
He waved his hand.
"You are publicly recognized as the greatest wizard of the century and the best headmaster Hogwarts has had. Why keep obsessing over every mistake?"
"A gentleman is judged by his actions, not by every passing thought. If we judged only the heart, no one in the world would be innocent."
"Now, Professor, please lift your foot. You're stepping on one of my mirror fragments."
Dumbledore stared at Theodore, who had already begun collecting the shattered pieces of the Mirror of Erised.
For a long moment, the old wizard looked lost.
Then he quietly left the room.
When he walked away, the weight in his chest had somehow become lighter.
Theodore glanced at his retreating back.
Truthfully, he had complaints about Dumbledore.
But he admired him more.
A wizard with enough power to sweep through the magical world had spent a century suppressing his own desire for power, judging himself with near-impossible moral standards.
In that sense, Dumbledore and Grindelwald really were alike.
Both had placed chains upon themselves and locked themselves inside prisons they could easily break.
A moment later, Theodore shook his head.
Thinking about philosophy was less useful than gathering mirror fragments.
He collected every piece and placed them into his Yuan Sea.
With the quality of the mirror's material, and with the Yuan Sea's power constantly washing over it, its level should rise quickly.
Perhaps one day, if he obtained the refining method for a mirror-type treasure, these fragments would become useful.
After leaving the room, Theodore quietly entered the obstacle course guarding the Philosopher's Stone.
When he left, nearly half of the biting cabbages inside had vanished.
The cultivated Whomping Willow branch also disappeared from the wizarding world.
In their place, specks of green appeared on the divine peak within Theodore's Yuan Sea.
A closer look revealed the missing biting cabbages and the Whomping Willow branch.
They had been taken into the Yuan Sea and planted on the divine peak.
Theodore inspected them carefully.
After the initial confusion caused by the sudden change in environment, the plants adapted quickly.
In fact, the divine peak's environment seemed extremely beneficial to them.
The biting cabbages snapped their sharp teeth with renewed vigor. The Whomping Willow branch became greener and more lively, full of surging vitality.
Only then did Theodore relax.
"Plants can survive inside. What about animals?"
He immediately brought in Huhu, the Fire Crab that had followed him for some time.
The moment Huhu appeared on the divine peak, it looked dazed.
Then the environment, rich with Yuan Sea power, seemed to awaken something in its bloodline.
A blazing flame burst from its mouth.
The intensity no longer resembled a Fire Crab.
It looked more like a young dragon breathing fire.
After releasing the flames, Huhu's shell began to shine like translucent ruby, as if a bloodline transformation was brewing inside it.
Theodore's eyes brightened.
"So living beings brought into the Yuan Sea can gain enormous benefits. Their upper limits can break past what the wizarding world normally allows."
The divine peak still had plenty of space.
And as the Yuan Sea expanded, the space would continue to grow.
If properly planned, this place could become extremely useful.
Then Theodore's eyes lit up.
He had long wanted to establish a medicinal garden to cultivate rare herbs needed for alchemy.
After all, the pill recipes he had obtained from Madam Pince were the Demon-Refining Pill and the Ten Thousand Demon Golden Pill. Strictly speaking, neither belonged to orthodox pill formulas.
His Profound Alchemy talent still had far more potential to explore.
But that required herbs.
Some herbs likely had no equivalent in the wizarding world.
Others existed, but their medicinal properties were too weak for Primordial pill refinement.
If he opened a medicinal garden on the divine peak, perhaps he could break the limits of the wizarding world and grow what he needed.
Theodore quickly made up his mind.
"The herb garden must be started soon. Herbs need time to grow. The sooner they are planted, the sooner they can be used."
"But space is limited. What should I plant first?"
After a moment, he had his answer.
"Since space is limited, I should plant the rarest and most precious herbs first. Especially those extinct in the wizarding world."
"Common herbs can be bought. These cannot."
As for where to obtain those seeds?
Naturally, from Professor Sprout.
Soon, Theodore found Professor Sprout near the place where the Whomping Willow stood.
After the previous lightning tribulation, the Whomping Willow had been reduced almost entirely to charred wood. Yet a green sprout had emerged from the scorched trunk, and a tiny ember of Phoenix Perching Wutong Fire still burned faintly upon it.
Professor Sprout was there, carefully observing and recording its condition.
When she saw Theodore, she looked surprised.
"Theodore? What are you doing here?"
"I came to see whether I could help, Professor."
Professor Sprout's eyes softened.
"That is kind of you."
She looked back at the Whomping Willow, worry written across her face.
"It was struck by lightning. Even for a Whomping Willow, the situation is grim."
"But it still has a sprout, and it still contains life. I don't know whether it can survive."
"If it dies, the Whomping Willow may truly vanish from the magical world. That would be a terrible pity."
Theodore nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, Professor."
"There must be many rare magical plants that have gone extinct, right?"
The topic immediately opened Professor Sprout's memory.
"Of course. There is the Kingflash Flower, for example. It could grow six or seven feet tall, and its colors were said to be extraordinarily beautiful. In ancient records, it was used in potions that preserved youth."
"Those potions often appear in myths."
"But after the Kingflash Flower went extinct, those youth-preserving potions disappeared as well. No one has seen one for centuries."
"There was also Blue Spirit Grass, the Desert Thorn Tree…"
"Many of these powerful plants seem to have vanished because they could no longer adapt to the magical environment."
"Now we are lucky if a few seeds remain in the collections of herbologists."
"Many have tried to revive them. All failed."
Theodore's eyes brightened.
"Professor, do you have seeds from those rare plants?"
Professor Sprout looked proud.
"Of course. I am a respected herbology master. Seeds like those are precious, but I do have some…"
Then she suddenly became alert.
Experience had taught her that when a Gryffindor student showed intense interest in a dangerous or rare plant, trouble was usually close behind.
"Theodore, I don't remember you being this interested in Herbology before."
"The last time you asked me something, you wanted to know which plant was more vicious than biting cabbage."
"Why are you suddenly interested in rare seeds?"
"You aren't planning something dangerous, are you?"
Theodore looked wounded.
"Professor, how can you accuse me like that? Am I that kind of person?"
Professor Sprout gave him a strange look.
"I still remember your troll-dung bombs with the Weasley twins. And your repeated attempts to get biting cabbages from me. Your defense is not very convincing."
Still, she did not reject him outright.
"How about this? At the end of the term, after you finish your paper on cultivating Whomping Willow branches, if I am satisfied, I can lend you one seed for your next research topic."
"For now, don't even think about it."
Theodore opened his mouth.
That troll-dung bomb incident had happened ages ago. How was it still coming back to haunt him?
It seemed impossible to coax rare seeds out of Professor Sprout for now.
But waiting until the end of term?
That was nearly ten weeks.
In that time, even leeks could be harvested once.
Theodore could not wait.
Then an idea struck him.
"Professor, you said if I finish the Whomping Willow cultivation paper, you'll lend me one seed, right?"
"What if I successfully cultivate a Whomping Willow branch?"
Professor Sprout froze.
Then she looked him up and down, amused.
"If you successfully cultivate a Whomping Willow branch?"
"Then you can teach Herbology, and I will attend your class."
"I'll put your name on the paper and write the rest myself."
"Whatever seed you want, I'll get it for you. If necessary, I'll rob another herbology master for it."
"After all, I couldn't possibly delay the development of British Herbology, could I?"
Theodore smiled.
"Professor, you said it yourself."
"Please wait here."
He turned and left quickly.
Professor Sprout stared after him, baffled.
For one moment, a thought crossed her mind.
Could he truly have made progress with the Whomping Willow branch?
No.
Impossible.
For more than a century, countless herbology masters had tried. She herself had tested nearly every known method in the wizarding world, and all had failed.
Theodore was a first-year student.
Could he possibly know some plant-cultivation method that surpassed the entire magical world?
A short while later, Theodore returned.
In his hands was a flowerpot.
Inside it, a lush green Whomping Willow branch was violently waving.
"Professor," Theodore said cheerfully, "would you like to inspect the goods?"
Professor Sprout had not yet seen what was inside.
"Inspect what…"
Then her eyes landed on the flowerpot.
Her scream pierced the night.
"Whomping Willow?!"
"You grew it in a flowerpot?"
"I cared for mine day and night in a greenhouse, gave it the best conditions, cast spells on it daily, watered it with potions, and it wouldn't even sprout."
"You planted a Whomping Willow in a flowerpot and it lived?"
She stared at the branch, then at Theodore.
"No…"
"Why?!"
Theodore smiled innocently.
"I don't know. I put it in the flowerpot, left it alone, and it grew by itself."
Professor Sprout's face flushed red.
With all her lifelong self-control, she barely swallowed the words that almost escaped her mouth.
She had worked so hard and failed.
According to Theodore, this was simply something that grew if you had hands?
Still, as a herbologist, she could not believe Theodore had done it casually.
There had to be a reason.
Perhaps Theodore had accidentally matched a crucial growth condition.
A perfect coincidence.
A miracle of timing, soil, magic, and neglect.
Professor Sprout quickly built her own theory.
Yes.
That had to be it.
Theodore must have accidentally discovered the necessary growth factor for the Whomping Willow.
Perhaps the plant disliked excessive interference.
Perhaps it preferred simple soil and a confined container.
Perhaps all previous herbologists had failed precisely because they had over-cared for it.
At that moment, Theodore asked, "Professor, does your promise still count?"
"I don't need to steal your job. I just want a few seeds. Maybe I can grow them too."
Professor Sprout did not know whether to laugh or cry.
In her mind, Theodore had been lucky enough to accidentally match the Whomping Willow's growth conditions. That was already unbelievably rare.
Did he think he could grow every extinct plant?
Could there truly be an innate Herbology Saint Body in this world, someone who could casually revive rare plants by touching soil?
If that were true, what had she spent all these years studying for?
Still, she had made a promise.
Professor Sprout carefully took out a seed and handed it to him.
"This is a Desert Thorn Tree seed. It was once used to brew a potion that strengthened the body."
"In mythological records, those ancient wizards called gods may have used this type of potion to obtain terrifying physiques."
"I only have three Desert Thorn Tree seeds. You may try this one, but don't place too much hope on it."
Theodore looked disappointed.
"Professor, only one?"
Professor Sprout glared at him.
"One seed is worth more than a thousand Galleons, and many herbologists would dream of obtaining it. You still think it's too little?"
"If you want more, you must produce results on this topic too."
Theodore's eyes lit up.
Wasn't that only a matter of time?
He took the seed and left cheerfully.
Professor Sprout watched his back and shook her head with a smile.
"This child. He happened to grow a Whomping Willow branch and now thinks cultivating plants is easy."
Then she returned to thinking about the Whomping Willow experiment.
She had to design follow-up tests.
If she could identify the key factor Theodore had accidentally triggered and reproduce it, this would become the most important Herbology paper in decades.
Time passed.
Two nights later, Professor Sprout's office was still brightly lit.
She sat at her desk, exhausted, still frowning over her notes.
Then someone knocked on the door.
Theodore appeared outside.
Professor Sprout smiled.
"Theodore?"
"How is the Desert Thorn Tree going?"
"It's all right if it failed. Setbacks are normal in Herbology. A resilient heart is the most important quality a herbologist can have."
"Come in. I prepared many classic papers on Desert Thorn Tree cultivation for you. Reading them should help you understand just how difficult this topic is."
"As long as you keep working in this direction, even a small achievement will be enough to make your name known for life…"
As she spoke, Professor Sprout waved her wand.
A stack of papers nearly taller than Theodore floated toward him.
Theodore looked stunned.
"Professor, thank you, but I don't think I need them."
Professor Sprout froze.
Then her expression turned serious.
"What do you mean you don't need them?"
"Theodore, scholarship must stand on the shoulders of those who came before us."
"No matter how talented you are, you must remain humble. That is true in every discipline."
"Do you think cultivating rare herbs is something simple?"
"It requires generations of effort, countless failures, and careful study…"
After giving him a long lecture, she finally asked, "If you didn't come to ask a question, why are you here?"
Theodore hesitated.
"Professor…"
"The Desert Thorn Tree seed you gave me…"
"It sprouted."
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