Chapter 405: The Golden Cave and the Crystal Tree

Ivan had seen many Portkeys before, all of them more or less exuding magic.

That was the symbol of magical function, even the special Portkey from Azkaban Wizarding Prison, which was kept underground in the Ministry of Magic, was no exception.

But in front of him, nothing could be felt of the Faust statue.

It was like all ordinary stone statues. There was no magic in it. Apart from its peculiar shape, nothing about it required a second glance.

"Don't be surprised. Like other statues around here, it's still an ordinary stone carving. Only the right incantation can turn it into a Portkey." Flamel explained, "The space in which the book is located is protected by an ancient and powerful magic, and no one can enter it without using the correct method. This statue is the only way to get there. It uses alchemy to leave a positioning support for that space."

In fact, the Portkey was a magical object that could quickly transport people from one space to another, and it really looked inconspicuous, with an insignificant appearance.

The making of a Portkey must be reported to the Portkey Office at the Ministry of Magic, and the incantation would be Portus.

As long as one thought of their destination while reading the spell, they would get there.

But obviously, this one Ivan saw in front of him was different from ordinary Portkeys.

First of all, it was certainly not under the control of the Ministry of Magic. Moreover, after Flamel's transformation, the spell should be different for the alchemy support that was dedicated to the space where "The Book of Abraham" was preserved.

"Have you ever seen the Faust opera?" Flamel asked in a low voice.

Instead of rushing to use magic, he turned and looked at Ivan.

Under his gaze, Ivan shook his head and said he had never seen it.

"Then I suggest you go and take a look. Although it is an opera created by Muggles, it is really a great classic that can help you understand a lot about life and philosophy. When you have time, I encourage you to go." Flamel said slowly in his old voice. "Remember that when people work hard all their lives, it is inevitable that they will make mistakes. Even if his soul is shrouded in darkness, a good man would recognize the right way to be honest..."

He recited a few famous lines from Faust, then paused to rest for a while, as if leaving time for Ivan to think carefully about what they meant.

"My dear child, you are the heir of my choice!" A few minutes later, with a heavy voice and a solemn look, Flamel said, "I hope you will not allow yourself eternal life, power and wealth as I did, which are of no benefit. Instead, you can go all the way, and learn the true secrets of the 'Book of Abraham'."

He had just finished speaking, patted Ivan on the shoulder and walked to the front of Faust and the statue of the Devil.

"In the beginning was the deed!" Flamel said quietly.

He looked at Ivan again and used his wand to quickly tap the statue.

A faint blue light flickered and the statue trembled.

Now, Ivan could feel the faint magic from it. The statue gradually changed from an ordinary stone carving to an ox key, and the incantation was In the beginning was the deed!

This phrase was also from Faust, pointing to the origin of all things.

Literally, it meant that it was not language, not ideas, but practice and action that implemented and created everything.

As long as you work hard, mistakes are inevitable....

...so don't stop trying for fear of making mistakes, over and over again.

"Are you ready?" Flamel put his hand on the statue and gestured for Ivan to do the same. "We'd better hurry and not keep Albus waiting!"

Just as Ivan put his hand on the Portkey, the statue of Faust broke in an instant, and a soft blue light came out of it.

The light changed, the world in front of him changed, and he felt an attack of dizziness.

In the strange and glorious world, he was pushed forward by invisible forces.

Everything around him became distorted, as if he had entered a strange tunnel.

Ivan didn't know how long it took, and when he regained consciousness, he found himself in a huge, empty cave.

In the dim light before him, the statue was once again a stone sculpture instead of a Portkey.

This was what Ivan could see at first glance. With its different color, the original small statue of Faust stood out.

Behind the statue, the grotesque vertical stalactites down the cave walls, and the floors and ceilings were not made of rough stones, but were all made of dazzling gold; gold was everywhere in sight!

The whole subway cave was made of gold!

Ivan looked around in amazement, and only then could he really understand the meaning of the "golden touch".

Before that, I had no idea that Flamel would use the Philosopher's Stone to turn an entire cave into gold; the idea was truly insane!

If asked, he could only describe the scene before him as shocking. In fact, he had never seen so much gold before. Compared to the gold in front of him, all the wealth of the pureblood wizarding families was a joke.

No wonder Flamel had warned him repeatedly before entering here.

Although Ivan had made up his mind, he couldn't resist the temptation of so much gold and immortality.

He tried to keep his breath steady, but his eyes couldn't stop staring at the countless gold on the walls around him, unchecked.

"This is where I tried to work on the Philosopher's Stone. With countless trials, the overflow of energy from it made this happen." Flamel explained, "This space is tens of thousands of feet below Beauxbatons. Even though it is so far away, it is still under the protection of the various magics that protect the school. The original entrance was completely sealed by me. No one can enter this place without using this portkey."

He stepped forward and Ivan hurried to keep up with him.

The cave was very large. Looking ahead, there was nothing but gold....

Ivan had the feeling of going round and round. After a few steps, he couldn't even tell which was the bottom and which was the top.

In this golden world, everything seemed to have no boundaries, no limits.

Just when he felt he was about to faint, he saw a huge old tree.

This ancient tree was not any species Ivan knew. Its trunk was enough for dozens of people to surround it.

The branches and leaves were so thick that it stood like a huge triangular pyramid.

The leaves emitted a faint glow, which was the only source of light in the cave.

A few steps ahead, Ivan clearly saw that the leaves and texture of the tree were all fluorescent, transparent crystals.

In the center of the trunk, in an inner hole, quietly placed was a very thick magic book: "The Book of Abraham"!