Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil.

Upon hearing this reply, Puni did not show any disappointment on his face. He simply nodded gently and said calmly, "It's alright. I was just asking casually. I didn't mean anything by it."

The three continued on their way, with Dumbledore and Penny walking along the path, while Xinglun led the way with steady steps.

Along the way, they encountered several patrols of centaurs. Unlike the indifferent patrols they had met before, these patrols were noticeably more amiable towards Dumbledore and Penny. They did not look at them with cold eyes, and some centaurs even nodded slightly to Dumbledore, clearly recognizing the headmaster of Hogwarts.

As for Puni, he had long been subconsciously ignored by these centaurs. In their view, this small, thin wizard was probably just a student who had sneaked into the Forbidden Forest to play and was discovered by Headmaster Dumbledore. He was not worth paying much attention to.

Puni didn't care about that; he was more curious about the centaur species.

His own family members are all human beings.

These centaurs seem like a good option?

Puni's gaze swept over the centaurs along the way from time to time, and he found that all he saw were male centaurs, with not a single female centaur in sight.

He was very curious: were there any female centaurs in the centaur tribe?

If they exist, what do they look like?

How are they different from male centaurs?

But then he thought that he and Xinglun were not yet familiar with each other, and the centaurs had their own traditions. Asking such a personal question rashly might offend the other party. So he kept the question to himself and planned to ask it when they were more familiar with each other.

Led by Xinglun, the three of them wandered along the winding path and visited three lakes of different sizes.

At each lake, Dumbledore would take out the map he carried with him and carefully compare it.

Many birds inhabit the area around these lakes, their chirping filling the air. Among them are the Ball-Escape Bird and the Wicked Bird, which are prominently featured in the Hogwarts textbooks.

The ball-eating bird is small in size, with grayish-brown feathers, and is a master of camouflage, making it virtually impossible to spot without careful observation.

The Evil Witch has brightly colored feathers and a sharp call that can be heard from afar.

However, Dumbledore was not satisfied with any of these places.

Guided by Xinglun, they walked for about half an hour and finally arrived at the edge of a relatively large lake. This lake was much larger than the ones they had encountered before. The shore was covered with a thin layer of snow, and the lake surface was covered with a thick layer of ice, making it exceptionally tranquil.

The group looked up and saw a stone basin faintly visible beneath the ice.

Dumbledore immediately stepped forward, knelt down, brushed the snow off the ice, took out the map, and carefully compared the markings on the map with the stone basin under the ice.

After a moment, he slowly stood up, a relieved smile on his face, and said with certainty, "That's right, this is the place, this is the destination depicted on the map."

Seeing that the two had found their destination, Xinglun's face relaxed slightly. He bowed slightly to Dumbledore and said respectfully, "Your Excellency Headmaster Dumbledore, now that you have found the place you are looking for, I have completed the task assigned by the chief. The tribe's patrol mission is not yet finished, and I must return to continue patrolling. I cannot accompany you any longer."

Before setting off, Chief Bane specifically instructed him to simply bring Dumbledore and Penny to their destination, and not to pay too much attention to what they were going to do next, nor to pry into their affairs. He should just do his patrol duties.

After saying that, he turned to look at Puni, a hint of apology on his face: "Little wizard, I was so busy leading the way that I forgot to ask your name. I'm so sorry."

Puni waved his hand and said with a smile, "It's alright, my name is Puni."

He didn't tell the centaurs his surname, because who knows if these guys would be more hostile towards pure-blooded wizards.

“Puni?” Xinglun repeated his name, nodded slightly, and memorized the name.

Just as the two were about to say goodbye, Dumbledore suddenly coughed twice, interrupting their conversation, and said to Xinglun, "Xinglun, there's something I want to tell you. You should know Hagrid from Hogwarts. He's in charge of matters related to the Forbidden Forest and is a very warm-hearted person. If your tribe encounters any difficulties in the future, or needs any help, you can go to Hagrid and have him pass on a message to me. I will do my best to help."

Upon hearing this, Xinglun showed a grateful expression, bowed again to Dumbledore, and said respectfully, "Yes, thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore. Please be careful in this area, as it is close to the depths of the Forbidden Forest and there are many spiders around."

Having said that, he didn't linger any longer. He turned around and walked quickly back along the path he had come from. He needed to return to the tribe as soon as possible to report to Chief Bain that he had completed his guiding mission, and then continue his patrol.

Chapter 106 Percival? Lestrange's elder?!

As Xinglun's figure disappeared completely into the dense forest, Dumbledore and Penny exchanged a glance. Without needing to say much, their gazes turned to the spot on the shore that seemed to be the entrance. The dilapidated stone wall, under the cold winter light, exuded an ancient and mysterious aura, and traces of human restoration could be vaguely seen.

The vines that entwined the stone walls along the shore lost their vitality, becoming dry and brittle, and the tree roots exposed on the ground were frozen stiff.

This made it easier for the two to clear the obstacles around the entrance. Puni waved his wand casually, and several gentle beams of magic shot out, causing the withered vines and loose roots to fall off, revealing the smooth stone slabs below the stone wall.

However, the frozen lake in front of them became the biggest obstacle to their progress.

The ice on the lake surface is thick and hard; to enter the space at the bottom of the lake, this layer of ice must first be broken.

Dumbledore slowly walked to the lakeside, stopped, gripped his wand tightly in his right hand, and exerted his power.

He tilted his head back, took a deep breath of the chilly air, and slowly gathered the magic within him at the tip of his wand. Then he raised his arm and slowly slid the wand from bottom to top.

As the wand moved, a crisp, piercing cracking sound suddenly rang out from the ice.

"Click"

Immediately afterwards, a straight and flat ravine appeared on the ice surface, its edges neat and smooth, as if it had been cut open by an invisible, sharp blade.

Dumbledore didn't stop what he was doing. He adjusted his posture, gripped the wand with both hands, and gently waved it from the center to the sides.

The next second, a magical scene unfolded. The two pieces of ice that had been cut apart seemed to be slowly pushed to the sides by an invisible force, and the friction between the ice surfaces produced a slight "crunching" sound. As the sliding amplitude increased, the space hidden under the ice gradually revealed itself to the two people.

After the ice was completely removed, a set of steps made of ice blocks appeared before them.

The steps descend layer by layer, their surfaces smooth and moistened by the lake water, yet a thin layer of white frost has condensed on them due to the low winter temperatures, giving them a chilly feel.

Dumbledore took the lead and stepped onto the stairs, followed closely by Penny. The two of them slowly descended the stairs, the ice beneath their feet making a slight creaking sound as they took each step with extreme caution.

Descending the steps, a smooth stone slab surface comes into view. The slabs, soaked in the lake water, have a dark gray sheen and still bear some watermarks. The air is filled with a damp chill and the ancient, metallic smell of stone.

A peculiar stone wall blocked their way.

This stone wall is made of evenly sized stones pieced together with tight gaps between them. Dark-colored stones are used to neatly arrange a spiral pattern on top. The spiral pattern is clear, extending inward in circles. The specific meaning is not clear, but it exudes an ancient and mysterious atmosphere, making people want to explore its secrets.

"open."

As soon as Dumbledore finished speaking, the stone wall in front of Puni suddenly began to slowly rotate. A slight friction sound came from between the stones. The originally flat wall gradually shifted as it rotated, and a dark doorway slowly appeared in the gaps between the stones. The depths of the doorway were dark and deep, and the scene inside could not be seen. Only a faint, cold aura emanated from it.

Puni took a few steps closer, examining the doorway before him, then turned to Dumbledore and said, "Professor, this should be the entrance you're looking for? Where exactly is this?"

Dumbledore walked to the doorway, raised his hand and gently touched the stone beside it, feeling the ancient magical aura that lingered on it. A gentle smile appeared on his lips as he turned to Puni: "You'll know once you go in."

Behind the doorway is a naturally formed underground cave. On the walls on both sides of the cave are embedded metal braziers, which are devices specifically used for lighting.

The moment the two stepped into the cave, the braziers automatically ignited with pale blue ancient flames. The flames glowed softly and steadily, illuminating the entire cave and dispelling its chilly atmosphere.

The path inside the cave was very flat, the ground was polished smooth and flat, and there were no obstacles. The two walked forward along the cave, and the stone slabs under their feet made a soft sound that echoed in the silent cave.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, a heavy iron gate suddenly appeared in front of them. The surface of the iron gate was covered with rust and looked quite old. On the wall next to the iron gate, there was a round metal disc with complex runes engraved on it, which looked particularly eerie.

As the magical beam struck the metal disc, the runes on it instantly glowed with a faint golden light. Immediately afterward, a gurgling sound came from the lake outside the cave, and several thick stone pillars slowly rose from the lake. The surfaces of the pillars were smooth, and their tops gleamed with a damp sheen; their purpose was unknown.

Puni turned to look at Dumbledore and found him staring intently at the runes on the metal disc, clearly more interested in these ancient runes than in the stone pillars.

Just then, the heavy iron door creaked open slowly, and a strong smell of cobwebs instantly wafted out from behind it.

Puni peered behind the door and saw that the space behind it was filled with dense spider webs. The webs were wrapped around the walls and stone pillars, thick and sticky, and had obviously been there for a long time.

"Blazing Flames!" Puni waved his wand rapidly.

On the surface, he would have worried about the magical flames igniting the vegetation in the Forbidden Forest, but now that he was in an underground cave with no flammable materials, he had no such concerns.

A burst of intense flame erupted from the tip of the wand, sweeping towards the spiderwebs and instantly igniting the thick webs.

The sizzling sound of flames burning the spider webs was incessant, and black smoke slowly rose, filling the cave.

Just as the flames were about to burn away all the spider webs, a series of soft, rustling sounds suddenly came from the dark corners of the cave. The sound grew closer and closer, carrying a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

Puni gripped his wand tightly, scanning his surroundings warily.

The next second, several enormous spiders crawled out from the dark corner. Their bodies were covered with jet-black hairs, their eight thick legs were covered with tiny barbs, and their sharp pincers were open, gleaming with a cold light. They bared their teeth at Puni and Dumbledore and let out a piercing hiss.

"Thunder Explosion!" Puni didn't hesitate and launched the first attack. With a wave of his wand, a powerful beam of magic shot out, hitting the giant spider at the front and instantly blasting it to pieces.

Then, he waved his wand again and shouted the spell: "Burning Flame!"

The blazing flames erupted once more, sweeping towards the remaining giant spiders and giving them no chance to get close.

Puni's hand holding the wand moved rapidly, and several flames and explosive spells shot out in succession, flying precisely into the hole where the spider was hiding.

The moment the spell entered the cave, the crackling sound of flames burning spider webs echoed from the depths of the cave, accompanied by the painful hissing and struggling of the giant spider. The two sounds intertwined and reverberated in the empty cave.

Puni stood at the cave entrance, listening to the sounds inside, and secretly reassured himself that fire magic was undoubtedly the most effective way to deal with such damp creatures.

Before long, several giant spiders that had managed to escape the fire attack rushed over from the other end of the passage in a panic. Forced into a corner by the flames in the cave, they could only flee in the direction of Puni and Dumbledore.

Puni reacted immediately, waving his wand quickly and casting the Barrier Charm and the Levitation Charm in succession. The Barrier Charm formed an invisible barrier in front of the spiders, blocking their path, while the Levitation Charm levitated the spiders in mid-air, rendering them unable to move and leaving them helpless targets, waving their pincers in vain.

"That saved me a lot of trouble," Puni muttered to himself, a hint of smugness on his face.

He quickly pulled an empty bottle from his pocket, strode over to the hovering spider, and precisely aimed the bottle at the spider's venom sac.

He gently pressed the spider's venom sac with his wand while rubbing and squeezing it with his hands.

The spider, its venom sac squeezed, trembled incessantly, as if enduring immense pain, yet unable to break free from the levitation spell. Moments later, it became completely still, drooping straight down, lifeless.

Puni tightened the bottle filled with venom, took out his marker, and carefully marked the size and weight of the spider on the bottle, recording every number clearly.

He did this to facilitate subsequent statistics on the venom production of spiders of different sizes, thereby summarizing patterns and improving the efficiency of venom collection. If profit-driven capitalists knew about this meticulousness and calculation, they would probably secretly admire it.

Dumbledore stood quietly to the side the whole time, his gaze fixed on Puni, who was busy collecting venom.

He knew, of course, that spider venom was expensive, selling for 100 Galleons a pint. If someone unaware of the situation saw Puni collecting it so diligently, they would most likely assume he was simply eager to learn and wanted to study the properties of spider venom.

However, Dumbledore knew that with the Lestrange family's strength and connections, they could certainly get a lower purchase price if they collected spider venom in bulk in the future. In a sense, these spiders that were causing trouble everywhere were actually making an indirect contribution to the development of potions in the magical world.

After collecting the venom, Puni put the bottle into his backpack and turned to look at the road ahead. He found that the once flat passage was now only a few stone slabs floating in mid-air. The stone slabs were spaced a certain distance apart and were steadily resting in the center of the cave without any support.

Clearly, this is a checkpoint deliberately set up by the trial designers. The purpose is obvious: to make people step on these floating stone slabs, cross this distance, and continue forward.

Puni took a deep breath, turned around and looked at Old Deng. He found Old Deng looking at him calmly. He suppressed his nervousness, stared intently at the floating stone slab closest to him, and stepped onto it.

The stone slab wobbled slightly before settling down. He quickly steadied himself, spreading his arms to maintain his balance.

Immediately afterwards, he waved his wand and chanted the spell to activate the stone slab. As the spell fell, the stone slab slowly started up, carrying him towards the opposite side of the cave.

Puni kept his eyes fixed on the stone slabs beneath his feet, lest he accidentally fall from mid-air. The bottom of the cave was pitch black, and no one knew what dangers lurked below. If he fell, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Just as the stone slab flew to the center of the cave, Puni suddenly heard a series of soft sounds. At first, he thought he had misheard, and even subconsciously thought it was the sound of galleons colliding.

Upon closer listening, the sound was subtle and rhythmic, likely the sound of a spider's legs rubbing against the ground and walls as it crawled.

Puni's heart tightened, and he immediately looked up and scanned his surroundings. The scene before him made him gasp instantly, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, which was truly terrifying.

The walls and ceiling of the cave were covered with a dense mass of spider eggs and webs. The webs were thick and sticky, entwined in every corner of the stone walls. The spider eggs were milky white, tightly huddled together, some of them already cracked, revealing tiny spider legs inside. The scene was disgusting and terrifying.

Clearly, these giant spiders had long since made this cave their nest, where they bred and multiplied.

"Hmph, I'll turn you all into my familiars sooner or later!"

Despite his discomfort and fear, Puni gripped his wand tightly and swung it rapidly, unleashing a series of fire spells.