Spellcasting Gods

Suddenly, a large black oil stain appeared at Harry Potter's feet.

He lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground, face up, with a thud.

Immediately afterwards, a spark of electricity erupted from the end of the wand, causing the boy to tremble uncontrollably for several seconds before he recovered.

When he gritted his teeth and struggled to get up from the ground, he found that his wand was gone, and his opponent's wand was pressed against the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

"How does it feel to fail? You're too arrogant, always thinking you're special and possess extraordinary talent, but in reality, you're just a pathetic wretch who knows nothing. Think about it, if I were to give you a death curse right now, would you still be alive?"

While they were talking, Zhang Cheng swiftly mobilized all of Draco's magic power, cut a small fragment of his soul from the scar, and silently stored it in his wand.

Just as he completed the last step, Severus Snape finally realized something was wrong and rushed over, shouting, "Malfoy! Stop! Let go of Potter! He's already embarrassed himself enough today!"

"As you wish, Professor." Zhang Cheng bowed gracefully, turned and jumped off the dueling platform, accepting the huge cheers that erupted from the Slytherin camp.

The little snakes, who have always been keen on pursuing power and rights, admire the strong who defeat their opponents with overwhelming force.

What's more, the one who was knocked down this time was none other than the famous Harry Potter, who was the one who overthrew Slytherin's dominance of the House Cup last year.

After a brief celebration, Severus Snape soon arrived, staring at him with unsettling eyes and demanding, "Malfoy, tell me, what's wrong with you today? And where did you get those strange spells?"

"Nothing, Professor. I just suddenly realized the meaning and value of my existence. Potter and his friends are a bunch of fools, not worthy of being my opponents. As for magic, have you forgotten that my father hired an excellent tutor for me during the summer vacation?" Zhang Cheng replied with a smile and a shrug.

He knew very well that this double agent, filled with inner contradictions, had become suspicious of him.

After all, although Snape hated Harry Potter, he didn't want to see him get hurt in any way, and would even step forward to protect him at crucial moments.

“A tutor? Can you tell me what kind of person he is?” Severus Snape asked tentatively, squinting his eyes.

"Hehe, you're a good friend of my father's. If you'd like to meet my tutor, you can come directly to Malfoy Manor..."

After saying this suggestive remark, Zhang Cheng immediately turned around and returned to Draco's dormitory, where he began to weave the boy's memories before leaving silently.

He knew very well that after this incident, Dumbledore would most likely become more wary, and he wouldn't be able to use such underhanded tactics for a long time.

Chapter 0735 The Legend of the Tutor

Draco Malfoy's outstanding performance at the Duel Club undoubtedly triggered a series of extremely serious chain reactions.

The most obvious example is that Harry Potter fell into a state of intense self-doubt and self-denial. For a long time, he was listless and could not even muster any interest in his favorite Quidditch match. He was in a daze and was like a walking corpse.

As the headmaster of Hogwarts and one of the masterminds behind the scenes in the British wizarding world, Albus Dumbledore naturally couldn't stand by and watch his carefully nurtured protégés degenerate into mediocrity, so he quickly had a heart-to-heart talk with them and offered some guidance.

Finally, on Christmas Day, Harry Potter returned to his normal appearance.

Of course, this wasn't because talking to a man over a hundred years old had some incredible or miraculous healing effect, but rather because Hermione's compound decoction was finally ready.

He planned to take this opportunity to expose his nemesis Draco's evil true nature, find out who opened the secret room and launched the attacks, and then stand before everyone again as a school hero to prove that he was a brave man worthy of Gryffindor.

It must be said that this idea is incredibly naive and childish.

But considering he's only twelve years old, a boy in the early stages of rebellion, it's not surprising what he does.

After all, during adolescence, people's minds are always filled with all sorts of wild and unrealistic fantasies, so before establishing a complete worldview and values, whatever they do may seem somewhat foolish and ridiculous.

At night, under the cover of the festive revelry, Harry and Ron drugged Malfoy's two henchmen, Crabbe and Goyle, changed into their clothes, and followed a girl into the Slytherin common room.

Draco was sitting in front of the fireplace, staring blankly at the roaring flames, lost in thought, his expression blank.

But intimidated by the immense power he has displayed this semester, no one dares to approach him easily, or risk making a fool of themselves by getting too close.

Despite the lingering pain of his recent crushing defeat, which seemed to be a ravenous rat gnawing at Harry's already shattered pride, he still mustered the courage to approach and casually greet him: "Hey! Malfoy! How was your Christmas?"

"Hmph! What a boring holiday! I'm not going to waste my time on this. By the way, where have you two idiots been? Have you forgotten that I warned you not to wander around for a while?" Draco turned around and glared at the two of them.

As his strength increased, his personality also underwent a dramatic change. He became both cold and serious, completely unlike a twelve-year-old boy.

"I...I'm sorry! We forgot!" Harry shuddered uncontrollably.

He would never forget the words his opponent spoke when he pointed his wand at his forehead on the dueling platform, nor would he forget the overwhelming sense of oppression that followed.

"Forgot? What else do you two remember besides food?" Draco reprimanded mercilessly.

"By the way! The secret room! Do you know who opened the secret room?" Ron asked, feigning ignorance.

"I don't know! I almost wish it were me. You know what? I really want to meet the person who opened the secret room and see if we can do something great together. But unfortunately, my tutor forbids me from having any contact with them, otherwise..."

At this point, Draco paused noticeably, an excited expression appearing on his face.

"A tutor?" Harry keenly grasped the key point.

Malfoy nodded proudly: "That's right! Did you think my increased strength this semester just fell from the sky? No! My father hired a powerful wizard to teach and train me in spellcasting. You can't even imagine how powerful he is; just a single illusion he created could defeat most adult wizards. I've only received a little over half a month of training and I've become what I am now. By the end of this semester, I will become even stronger and firmly crush Harry Potter under my feet."

"By Merlin! You have a tutor? That's not fair!" Ron couldn't help but exclaim.

"Fairness? Don't be silly! What fairness is there in this world? My teacher taught me that so-called fairness is nothing but an illusion used to deceive those living at the bottom of society; it has never truly existed. If you want to become stronger, then come to our family's manor during the holidays and receive training together. I guarantee that even someone as foolish as you will undergo a complete transformation under his training."

With that, Draco abandoned the two and disappeared alone at the end of the Slyderlin common room corridor.

Watching him leave completely, Ron immediately lowered his voice and said, "Damn it! Looks like our operation failed! This guy knows absolutely nothing!"

“No! At least we know why he suddenly became a different person! A powerful wizard is teaching him!” Harry’s eyes seemed to ignite with a fire, radiating a bright light.

"But what does this have to do with us?" Ron scratched his head, puzzled.

"Of course it's related! If he can hire a tutor, why can't we?"

"My God! Are you crazy? Putting aside how much it costs to hire an adult wizard, just finding a powerful wizard willing to be a tutor is extremely difficult."

"How will you know it won't work if you don't try! I'm not willing to be ridden on by Malfoy forever!"

"Okay, I'm not willing to give up either. We'd better go back and talk to Hermione as soon as possible. Maybe she can come up with a good idea."

……

Just as the two boys were having a heated discussion about how to become stronger, Zhang Cheng, far away at Malfoy Manor, finally received the Christmas gift he had been dreaming of: the wand that originally belonged to Draco.

Through hypnosis and suggestion, he effortlessly obtained a small fragment of the Dark Lord's soul.

He carefully took out the spiritual substance that emitted a gray glow and placed it into a container. He immediately began to conduct complex tests and experiments.

About ten hours later, a secret about the rules of death was finally gradually revealed.

"Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! Is this the true face of death? The essence of creating Soul Weapons is actually theft!" Zhang Cheng muttered to himself, his eyes shining as he stared at the surging energy inside the spiritual substance.

This is completely different from what we expected!

He had initially thought that Voldemort's creation of Horcruxes was very similar to the cloning techniques of high-ranking mages in Forgotten Realms, but in reality, it had nothing to do with cloning at all. Instead, he tore off a portion of his soul along with various intense emotions from his subjective consciousness and integrated it into the death rules that governed the entire world, forming an independent entity that was very similar to himself, yet completely different.

Simply put, it's about deceiving the rules of death, stealing life from the world of the living to sustain oneself; only a true madman would choose this method to gain immortality.

Chapter 0736 What is Death?

"Supreme Authority, tell me, what do you think death is?" Zhang Cheng asked, staring at the soul fragments inside the container that had been broken down into countless tiny particles.

"According to the definition of human medicine, the disappearance of brain electrical signal activity means death. But from a magical perspective, as long as a creature's soul still exists, it is still alive. Respected master, death is never an absolute definition, but a relative one. What determines death is not objective reality, but the perception and understanding of death within the broader context." The artifact calmly expressed its opinion.

It must be said that, as a weapon with independent thinking capabilities, its intelligence level is, to some extent, no less than that of the smartest human.

On the contrary, because it is free from various biases, it often offers a more impartial perspective and can provide some very good advice.

Zhang Cheng was clearly aware of this, which is why he frequently raised questions.

On the one hand, it serves as a reference, and on the other hand, it cultivates the complexity of the supreme authority's mindset, enabling it to evolve towards a higher level of logical thinking.

He casually released a large amount of arcane energy, breaking the scattered particles back into a small fragment, and said noncommittally, "Perhaps you are right, death is not an absolute concept, but merely a relative definition in understanding and cognition. But you have overlooked one point, which is that all worlds, including the entire universe, have an absolute system that determines whether a living being is considered alive or dead."

"Oh? You mean the rules of death?" The Supreme Authority's expectation revealed intense curiosity.

"That's right! The Rules of Death! A powerful force that can never be controlled by any mortal or god! Something that transcends everything, something above all else. Even the Grim Reapers of the mythical era only grasped a small portion of the authority of the Rules of Death. Think about it, which Grim Reaper could make a planet or even a raging inferno die? No, they couldn't. All they could do was establish a kingdom of death to house the souls of mortals..."

As he said these words, a chilling madness gleamed in Zhang Cheng's eyes.

Yes!

Through the fragments of Voldemort's Horcrux, he had already glimpsed a glimpse of the truth hidden behind the secret of death.

Compared to the omnipresent rules of death, the mere Grim Reaper, the Lich King, Hell, and Heaven are nothing more than insignificant specks of dust in the vast system of death.

From the moment the universe was born, death has been like an invisible ghost following closely behind. Even the universe itself cannot escape its eventual demise, let alone the life that exists within it.

But there are always some who can sense the existence of the rules of death and twist them under certain circumstances, turning them into a force they can control. They are either the Grim Reaper from mythology or some extremely powerful individuals.

"You also want to obtain the power of the rules of death?" The Supreme Authority, as expected of a divine artifact created by Zhang Cheng himself, saw through its master's ambition in an instant.

"Heh! With such a powerful rule, who wouldn't covet it? Don't forget, it's currently the only known power capable of killing the Creator," Zhang Cheng replied meaningfully.

"And what about the power of creation? Are you planning to give it up?" the Supreme Authority pressed on, its tone uncertain.

Zhang Cheng hesitated for a moment, then quickly shook his head with a smile: "No, why give up? Have you forgotten that I am a very greedy person, and I will not let go of anything of value? Besides, gaining a deeper understanding of the enemy's strength is not a bad choice. Most importantly, the enhancement of creative power can conceal my true trump card."

"Understood! So when do you plan to speak with this wizard who calls himself Voldemort? I believe that some of the knowledge in his mind will be very useful to you."

"What's the rush! Our dear Dark Lord doesn't even have a fixed form right now; he's busy evading his enemies. Just wait two more years, and he'll naturally appear before us after that."

As the last word escaped his lips, Zhang Cheng waved his hand and extinguished the lights in the basement of Malfoy Manor, disappearing without a trace through teleportation magic.

……

Meanwhile, after Christmas, Lucius was wielding the large amount of gold he had just acquired, recklessly acquiring all sorts of properties. Whether it was Diagon Alley or Knockturn Alley, a large number of shops became his property, and the Malfoy family's reputation became even more prominent. Even the bureaucrats of the Ministry of Magic had to maintain a considerable degree of respect for them when carrying out their missions, otherwise the overwhelming public opinion offensive could crush a person immediately.

As the saying goes, most of the suffering and difficulty in making choices in this world is caused by poverty.

Once you have more money than you can spend, all of this will no longer be a problem.

Of course, not everyone can be bought with money. For example, Arthur Weasley is not one to fall for it. Not long ago, he even personally led a search of the Malfoy family's manor, trying to find evidence that they were hiding dark magic items.

Lucius felt deeply humiliated and disgusted by this, and was now sitting alone in the living room, gripping his cane tightly, pondering how to teach the other party a lesson that would leave a lasting impression.

Before he could come up with a good idea, he suddenly saw Zhang Cheng appear out of nowhere. He quickly stood up and greeted him, "Good afternoon, sir. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Ah, good afternoon, my friend. Thank you for your kindness, but I don't need any help right now. By the way, how's your plan going?" Zhang Cheng sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, took a small sip, and stared at the other person with interest.

"It's going very smoothly! In a few days, I'll be able to send Dumbledore's half-giant servants to Azkaban, and then, once the situation deteriorates further, I'll get the board to remove that damned old man. At that time, everyone who has ever been loyal to him will be purged without exception, especially the Weasley family," Lucius explained with a grim expression.

"Open the Chamber of Secrets by scattering the Dark Lord's belongings from his student days, creating panic and chaos, and then making the current headmaster take the blame? I must say, your idea is good, but it can only deal with ordinary people. Someone as powerful as Albus Dumbledore wouldn't be defeated so easily. Don't forget, the wizarding world has always been a place where strength speaks. Unless someone can stand up and defeat him, he is an uncrowned king. Even the bureaucrats of the Ministry of Magic wouldn't easily offend the most powerful wizard in existence."

"what do you mean……"

"My understanding is that as long as Dumbledore is willing to make some degree of compromise, no one will take the huge risk of provoking him. After all, the difference between a white wizard and a dark wizard might just be a single moment of emotional outburst. Can you imagine Dumbledore abandoning all principles and going on a killing spree?"

Chapter 0737 The Fate of the Traitor