Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 342 Capturing Clouds and Weaving Clouds to Make a Chariot

Capture the clouds?

Weaving clouds to build a chariot?

Upon hearing this, Dumbledore, who had only intended to change the subject, suddenly brightened up, his interest piqued: "Oh? May I have a look around?"

Despite his many titles, Dumbledore considered himself first and foremost a wizard, and as a wizard, he was naturally curious about magic from other lands.

Li Tianshi glanced at him and snorted, "Trying to steal my skills again, like you did decades ago?"

"————Dear Li, I've said it before, I was just curious as a wizard back then. China is the civilization that has preserved the most complete ancient magic system, especially flying magic. You should forgive a wizard's strong thirst for knowledge."

The ancient magic that Dumbledore refers to here is a general term.

Before the establishment of the modern spell system, magic did not have a unified formula. Most ancient magic was actually developed from the experience of our ancestors, which inevitably led to the influence of survival needs and path dependence.

The most typical example is England.

The Scots, Irish, and Welsh of the British Isles are all descendants of the Celts. The ancient magic of the Celts was Druidic magic, which was confined to survival and specialized in transformation and growth magic.

The same applies to the Gauls, who are also descendants of Celts, such as the French and Italians.

The English are Anglo-Saxons, who originated from the Germanic peoples who invaded from Northern Europe. Their living environment was harsh, making it almost impossible for them to develop agriculture and animal husbandry. They could only rely on hunting and fishing by chance. Thus, the ancient magic developed by the Germanic people was runes that specialized in prophecy.

Other practices, such as voodoo and shamanism, each have their own distinctive geographical features and areas of specialization.

China is the only exception!

This civilization has continued for so long without any interruption. They even have their own theoretical framework and self-renewal capabilities that, in the face of the ever-improving modern spell system, China's ancient magic heritage has not gradually declined like other ancient magic systems.

Dumbledore was indeed very interested in learning more about the magic of this civilization.

Li Tianshi glanced at Dumbledore's smiling face, noticing his unusually bright blue eyes, immediately looked away, and got up to walk outside: "Come on in if you want to see!"

Stepping out of this traditional Chinese courtyard nestled in the mountainside, filled with the vibrant colors of spring, the biting wind that hits you instantly dispels all warmth and comfort.

The gale-force winds whipped up snowflakes as big as goose feathers, howling and swirling across the steep cliffs and the hollowed-out mountain paths.

Dumbledore's long beard instantly became disheveled, covered in snowflakes and frozen, and his skin turned red from the cold wind, which stung like a knife.

He quickly pressed down on his pink nightcap to prevent the beloved gift Vaughn had given him from being swept away by the snow.

With her other hand, she drew her wand and gently touched her body, casting a spell that spread throughout her entire body like a bubble covering her skin.

Beside him, Li Tianshi, now in shadow form and completely unfazed by the harsh weather, glanced at it and exclaimed, "This is—the head-soaking spell?"

"Yes, a variation of the Bubble Head Curse technique."

Variation techniques are not uncommon in spells, the most typical example being the Glowing Charm.

However, it is not common. After all, it is quite difficult to modify a mature spell and give it additional attributes and functions.

Master Li examined it carefully and quickly understood the principle behind this variant magic. He nodded thoughtfully: "The original Bubble Head Spell could only isolate the air in one direction, allowing only oxygen molecules to enter. It could not exchange gases, so as the amount of exhaled waste gas increased, the Bubble Head Spell could only last for a few hours at most. This variant has expanded and substantially innovated the original function."

"This thin, magically woven membrane has been designed with a unique microstructure, similar to an amorphous-crystalline composite porous network. The pores allow gas molecules to pass through, while the amorphous-crystalline structure of the gaps reflects mid- and far-infrared radiation. Since the main form of thermal radiation is mid- and far-infrared, when infrared light is repeatedly reflected in the grid, it can effectively prevent heat transfer."

The analysis, which was completely devoid of magic, left Dumbledore stunned. He then remembered that his old friend was not only a wizard, but also a Muggle who had earned doctorates in physics and chemistry while studying in Europe.

He suddenly felt that perhaps he should learn some Muggle science too?

Otherwise, not only will you have nothing to talk about with Vaughn, but you probably won't be able to connect with these Chinese wizards either.

After commenting on the Bubble Head Curse transformation magic, Master Li seemed quite impressed: "—A very ingeniously conceived spell, it must have been specifically designed for low-temperature environments such as rainy days, snowy days, and diving. It's very practical. Who is the wizard who invented it?"

Upon hearing this, Dumbledore shook off the jumble of thoughts that had been swirling in his mind and smiled, "You know the inventor too? It's Vaughn!"

'

'

Master Li was stunned for a moment, incredulous: "He's only 12 years old—"

Dumbledore shrugged: "Yes, Vaughn's biggest disadvantage is that he is still very young. Otherwise, with his abilities, he might already be able to add the title of Master of Charms to his Potions Master title. His magical research capabilities are far beyond your imagination."

While casually offering praise, Dumbledore was certain of one thing: Master Li, and the forces surrounding him who were actively pushing for participation in the Potions Exchange, were unaware of Vaughn's specific information.

This is very interesting.

They repeatedly expressed their high regard for Vaughn, yet this person they valued so highly was lacking in intelligence.

Is it because they've been isolated for too long and lack intelligence capabilities, or—does their concern stem from other possibilities?

For example, prophecy?

Just as he was thinking this, Dumbledore, who was struggling against the strong wind, suddenly heard a bell ring.

Jingle Bell!

The sound is crisp and has a strong penetrating power.

That was the sound of a copper bell.

As the bell rang in his ears, for some reason, Dumbledore suddenly felt as if his feet swayed. At the same time, snowflakes rushed towards him, the wind pressure was so heavy it felt like it was going to lift him up, and even his vision was obscured by the vast snow curtain.

It changed in an instant.

The wind died down, and the snow fell less.

It seemed as if some force had made them gentle, and the surrounding scenery could be vaguely seen.

The lingering sound of the bell still echoed in the suddenly empty space between heaven and earth.

Dumbledore looked in the direction of the bell and saw a huge stone platform that suddenly jutted out along the cliff about a hundred meters away.

The platform was bare, covered only with snow and piles of snow. In the snow, there was a Qi cultivator with white hair and a youthful face, dressed in a long robe. The Qi cultivator raised his head and faced the sky full of rosy clouds. A bell that made a tinkling sound was held in his hand, which was raised high.

When Dumbledore looked over, the alchemist was struggling to shake the bell again.

He exerted himself so much that even from a hundred meters away, Dumbledore could see the outline of the bulging muscles in the Qi cultivator's arms, which were straining against his robe sleeves, and he was drenched in sweat.

It was as if he wasn't shaking a bell, but pulling a mountain!

After watching for a while, just as Dumbledore was about to turn to Li Tianshi and say something, the alchemist, who had been working hard for so long, finally swayed his wrist.

Jingle Bell!

A crisp, penetrating bell rang out, and at the same time, Dumbledore felt the ground shake beneath his feet once more.

But this time, his clear vision allowed him to see that the swaying was not an illusion, but rather the mountain ridge stretching endlessly out in his field of vision, which suddenly twisted as the Qi cultivator shook the copper bell!

Trees swayed, snow slid down in a flurry, rocks rolled, and finally, they all coalesced into an avalanche, which roared down with thunderous force!

Large swirling wisps of mist, composed of countless tiny snowflakes, rose up at the foot of the mountain.

After the tremors subsided somewhat, Dumbledore peered down. Li Tianshi, who was beside him, seemed to know what he wanted to see and said calmly, "Don't worry, Lao Jun Mountain has been designated as a restricted area, and the nearby residents have already been relocated. When the True Lords decided to weave clouds today, the staff were also notified and evacuated from the mountain range area—it will not affect ordinary people."

Upon hearing this, Old Deng breathed a sigh of relief, but then realized that his worries were unfounded.

This is not Europe; there is no concept of purebred, mixed-race, or Mongoloid race here.

Unlike the European magical world, which claims to be secretive but is actually rampant—where as long as a Muggle dies or has their memory erased, there will naturally be no magical leaks!

After a moment of random thoughts, Dumbledore looked again at the Qi Refiner on the platform a hundred meters away, who was still ringing the bell, and asked, "What is he doing? That copper bell—"

"The copper bell is called the Dragon-Awakening Bell, and its function is just like its name. When that True Lord shook the bell, he was awakening the dragon vein of Lao Jun Mountain!"

The two were speaking in English, so Dumbledore keenly noticed that Li Tianshi used a word that was both strange and familiar, Loong, instead of "Dragon Bell"!

"Loong?"

Hearing Dumbledore's slightly puzzled murmur, Master Li glanced at him and said, "This is what I dislike about Europe. You have never accepted us, let alone identified with our culture. Every time you talk about dragons, you can only understand the word 'Dragon' as a magical creature that refers to dragons, and you also lump the dragon in our culture into the same category."

Upon hearing this, Dumbledore finally remembered why he felt both strange and familiar with "Loong".

Back when they were interacting in Europe, Master Li and his companions explained the Chinese concept of magic, including the difference between Drgon and Loong.

The former is used worldwide and specifically refers to mythical dragon-like creatures with huge bat wings, such as the Norwegian Spinosaurus and the Fireballosaurus.

The latter is not something that actually exists, but rather a totem symbol, a spiritual belief, and one of the "refining methods" that have evolved over thousands of years in Eastern magical civilization!

Of course, Li Tianshi and others did not explain what the Qi Refining Method was back then, or perhaps even if they had, he wouldn't have understood it.

It was a barrier forged by cultural divides and prejudices, and even someone like Dumbledore was no exception.

Therefore, he remained silent, quietly watching the white-haired, youthful-looking Qi cultivator on the platform, struggling to shake the copper bell again, listening to the extremely penetrating sound of the bell, and feeling the mountains swaying beneath his feet.

The entire mountain ridge resembled a large snake gradually awakening, swaying and writhing.

At one point, after another bell rang.

Click!

Like a thunderclap, or the roar of some giant beast, a huge sound wave swept across the mountains in an instant. From this high place, an invisible ring could be clearly seen sweeping away the snow like waves and making the trees sway like waves, swiftly moving into the distance.

At the same time, the mountains, just like the ground beneath our feet, began to "awaken" and shake.

The scene was so shocking that it was as if a gigantic monster, hundreds of miles long, was slowly rising from the ground.

Dumbledore steadied himself against a nearby boulder, barely managing to stop his staggering gait. He stared in shock at everything, hearing Li Tianshi's low chant: "The movement and undulation of the earth's veins is called a dragon!"

So, the so-called Loong is actually the earth?

Did these alchemists "awaken" the earth?

Dumbledore couldn't quite articulate his feelings. This kind of magic was something he couldn't see anywhere else; he had neither the same knowledge nor the same concept.

He felt a chill run down his spine, a chill that stemmed from shock, emotion, and—fear!

Of course, whatever his inner thoughts were, it didn't stop him, as a wizard, from having questions. Looking at the mountains gradually "awakening," amidst the deafening roar, he shouted, "Didn't you say you were going to capture clouds, weave them into chariots? Why are you awakening the earth?"

Master Li looked at him with a rather strange expression: "—You think catching clouds means grabbing the clouds in the sky?"

"Hmm?" Dumbledore asked, puzzled.

Like a reflection, Li Tianshi, seemingly isolated from the world, smiled slightly: "Clouds are made up of tiny water droplets or ice crystals condensed from water vapor. What can you do with them? Turn them into water? Even elementary school students who have studied natural science wouldn't have such delusions."

'

After teasing Old Deng, Li Tianshi, still in shadow, gazed into the distance. After a moment, he slowly said, "Here, we believe that controlling the wind and snow, and bringing rain and clouds, are the dragon's duties. Therefore, when the dragon appears, the clouds follow—when the dragon awakens, the clouds will naturally appear!"

As soon as he finished speaking, on the platform a hundred meters away, the Qi cultivator, who was sweating profusely from exhaustion, roared and shook the copper bell again.

Boom—

This time, it was no longer a crisp bell sound, but a deep, lingering sound, as if it were resounding from a low place, or perhaps from a higher dimension.

The world seemed to be drowned out by that sound, falling into silence, and then a bang!

With a sudden roar, Dumbledore saw the wind, snow, and clouds in the sky ahead being instantly pushed aside by an invisible, immense force.

Suddenly, the view became clear.

Ahead, the snow-white mountain ridge stretches endlessly, and at the eastern horizon, as the ridge twists and turns, a precipitous peak rises high, as if lifting the mantle of the earth, from which large amounts of viscous white smoke billow out.

They converge into clouds, like a surging tide, rolling and engulfing the mountains in mist.

Before I knew it, behind the dark green mountain ranges in the distance, the orange-red morning sun peeked out, casting its rays that enveloped the majestic mountain shadows and painted the mountains and clouds red.

A crimson glow spread across the sky.

It felt like the whole world was on fire.

Facing the unique sunrise, Master Li squinted slightly: "The clouds rise like dragons soaring, like the rising sun. Look, this is the kind of cloud we need to capture, the kind that can build a chariot!"