bookbashuk Chapter 180 Elements of the Magic Stone
Chapter 180 Elements of the Magic Stone
Chapter 180 Elements of the Magic Stone
"The creation of the Philosopher's Stone requires not only specific celestial phenomena and rituals, but also certain other conditions."
In the Hall of Flames in the Valley, Elrond spoke to Dui.
"I have a pretty good understanding of the meaning of those rune images on the blueprints. According to the explanations, the creation of the Philosopher's Stone requires three primary substances and four elements. These conditions are indispensable, otherwise the Philosopher's Stone cannot be completed."
"What are the three primordial substances and four elements?" Dui asked.
"The three primary substances are salt of the body, mercury of the spirit, and sulfur of the soul, while the four elements are water, fire, wind, and earth."
Elrond answered while showing admiration.
"I don't know which wise person created such a miraculous Philosopher's Stone, but the creator clearly didn't just want to achieve immortality, but rather attempted to use it as a medium to understand the secrets of the universe, thereby achieving 'spiritual harmony' and attaining the ultimate sublimation of the soul."
"As for immortality, it is merely an extension of the Philosopher's Stone, more like an accessory."
Dui was also very surprised to hear Elron's words.
Isn't the Philosopher's Stone supposed to grant immortality and turn lead into gold? How can it be interpreted this way?
Dui, filled with doubt, told Ellund about Nicolas Flamel's situation.
After listening, Elrond thought for a moment, then shook his head and said:
"I think the Philosopher's Stone made by the person you mentioned is probably not a true Philosopher's Stone, but rather a half-finished product."
Because the process of creating the Philosopher's Stone is itself a form of spiritual practice, it requires the creator to achieve a unity of spirit, soul, and matter, and to reach a state of "spiritual harmony" at the moment the Philosopher's Stone is completed. Only in this way can the Philosopher's Stone be made perfectly.
The person you mentioned clearly didn't have a fully formed mind when creating the Philosopher's Stone, which is why the Philosopher's Stone is imperfect.
"There's actually such an explanation?" Dui was astonished.
Then came a wave of distress.
Nicolas Flamel lived for so long and still couldn't achieve spiritual enlightenment, so how could he create the perfect Philosopher's Stone?
"Well, it's good enough to make a semi-finished Philosopher's Stone first! At worst, I can prolong my lifespan and make the full one when my mind is complete." Dui thought to himself.
So, still puzzled, he continued, "Lord Elrond, I understand what you mean by the four elements, but how do you explain the salt of the body, the mercury of the spirit, and the sulfur of the soul?"
Elrond replied, "The three elements that make the Philosopher's Stone are not substances like salt, mercury, and sulfur in the ordinary sense, but rather the product of the unity of body, mind, soul, and physical matter."
Dui seemed to understand somewhat, then asked, "Are these three substances anywhere?"
Elrond nodded.
"The Spirit Mercury represents the fluidity of the spirit. In the Grey Harbor on the western coast, the starting point of the Elven westward journey, it carries the Elven longing for and farewell to Middle-earth, and is imbued with the weight of time and countless unspoken memories."
If you wish to find spiritual mercury, you can go there to collect it; I believe the lord of Grey Harbor will be of assistance to you.
"This is also the one you are most likely to find among the three elements of the Philosopher's Stone."
Then he continued:
"Secondly, there is the sulfur of the soul, which represents the fire of the soul and can only exist where souls gather."
Throughout the world of Arda, besides the Halls of Mandos, the final resting place for souls, there are, as far as I know, other places where souls that refused Mandos's summons wander. For example, the Ereh people at the end of the White Mountains' Path of Death, who were cursed by Isildur for breaking their oath and were condemned to eternal rest; their souls are imprisoned there after death.
"If you want to find the sulfur of souls, you must go there. But the spirits there refuse entry to the living, and even I dare not venture there lightly, so if you want to go, you must be mentally prepared."
Dui nodded.
He had certainly heard of the road to death.
It is said that when the kingdom of Gondor was founded in the Second Age, Isildur made the Ereh people, who lived south of the White Mountains, pledge their allegiance to a black stone: if Gondor were to fall into crisis, the Ereh people must join forces to fight against the enemy.
However, when Sauron attacked Gondor, these mountain people did not keep their oath out of fear of Sauron.
Isildur then cursed them, saying they would never find rest until the day their oath was fulfilled.
Therefore, the souls of these Ereh mountain people remain trapped in the same place after death, unable to find peace, and they have even built a path of death to guard that place, refusing entry to all living people.
Baldo, the eldest son of the second King of Lohan, vowed to walk the path of death, but he never returned and died there.
Until the War of the Ring began, Aragorn, in order to gain more troops to fight Sauron, went to the Path of the Dead at Elrond's suggestion, and in the name of Isildur's direct descendant and the reforged holy sword Narsil, summoned the dead to serve him.
"Where can we find the salt for our bodies?"
Dui became somewhat worried when he saw that Elrond had left the topic of the salt of the flesh for last.
Is this the hardest one to obtain?
Elrond replied:
"The salt of the body represents stability and vitality, and it is most likely to appear only in the place where life first comes into being."
Quevey, the birthplace of the elves, had long since sunk during the War of Wrath in the First Age;
The birthplace of the dwarves is unknown except to the Valar who created them. They were then placed in different mountains to slumber until they were awakened by the elves.
The most likely place to find it is Hildorion, the birthplace of humankind.
But when this was mentioned, Elrond's expression turned serious, and he earnestly said to Dui:
"Hildorion is in the far east, and I don't know its exact location. It may have been forgotten in the course of human history, but it is in the territory ruled by Sauron."
If you want to go and find him, you'll have to rely on yourself, and you must be careful of Sauron. You've thwarted his plans time and time again; he must hate you to the core. You could easily fall into his trap there!
Dui nodded seriously and expressed his gratitude.
"I understand, thank you, Lord Elrond! Without your help, I wouldn't have received news of the Philosopher's Stone so quickly!"
It's true that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure.
If he were to figure these things out on his own, it would probably take him forever to learn them.
Fortunately, Elrond was unaware of Dui's thoughts at that moment, otherwise he would have taught Dui a lesson about respecting elders.
Although Elrond explained the three elements of the Philosopher's Stone to Dui in detail, he still shook his head and sighed, "To be honest, I would suggest you wait two years until Lady Galadriel purifies the Heart of the Balrog, then use the Balrog's undying fire to forge the Flame of Rebirth, thereby gaining immortality."
"There are too many uncertainties in the creation of the Philosopher's Stone. The Road to Death and the Far East are not safe places. One wrong move and you could face utter ruin. I don't want to see Alvin heartbroken for you."
Hearing Elrond's somewhat heavy words, Dui raised his head with a very serious expression.
"Lord Elrond, I assure you, I will never allow myself to fall into a desperate situation, nor will I give Alvin a chance to be heartbroken!"
Looking at Dui's solemn guarantee.
Elrond nodded, managing a weak, gentle smile.
"I am willing to believe your assurance."
The two then continued their discussion about the four elements required for the Philosopher's Stone.
"Of the four elements, water, fire, and wind are easy to deal with. Lady Galadriel's Water Ring, Nanya, Gandalf's Fire Ring, Naya, and my Air Ring, Vya, can all be used to condense the three elements of water, fire, and wind."
Elrond raised his hand, and a sapphire gold ring appeared on his slender finger. Countless wind elements gathered, forming a small elemental storm that spun in his hand.
"It's just the only earth element; you'll have to figure that out yourself."
"Earth element? How do I find earth element?" Dui couldn't help but frown.
When Celebrimbor forged the three rings of the elves, why didn't he forge an additional ring of earth?
Otherwise, there would be no need to search for earth elemental items.
Elrond shook his head as well.
"I don't know either. The only hint I can give you is that it must be a treasure born from the earth, and it is extraordinary in itself."
"Born of the earth? Does that mean mithril?" Dui took out the Mother of Mithril and showed it to Elrond.
Elrond was very surprised to see the Mother of Mithril, but he still shook his head.
"I didn't expect you to have a treasure like the Mother of Mithril, but unfortunately it is essentially a fusion of the powers of gods and demons in a special environment, not something born from the earth."
"Does this count?" Dui took out another item.
Elrond was even more surprised to see the gem emitting a white light in Dui's hand.
"Arkenbrooke?"
Dui nodded. "That's it. The Arkansas, also known as the Heart of the Mountain, is a treasure born from the mountains. Shouldn't it work?"
Elrond did not inquire how the gem, which symbolized the Dulin kingdom, ended up in Dui's hands. Instead, he took the gem and examined it carefully.
He then revealed a gentle smile, "It seems fate is on your side, Duir. This heart of the mountain contains the essence of the earth, and the four elements you need have been gathered."
Upon receiving a positive answer, Dui couldn't help but feel happy.
Because of Thorin's madness, Dui took the Arkenstone ahead of time and has kept it ever since.
Unexpectedly, by a twist of fate, we have completed the last missing element.
"What are you planning to do next?" Elrond asked.
"Start with the easy stuff first. I plan to go to Gray Harbor first to find the Spirit Mercury, then head to the Death Road in the White Mountains to the south, and finally go to the Far East to find Hildorion," Dui said, pondering his plan.
Elrond nodded.
"If you are going to Grey Harbor, you can first visit Lord Cildan there. He is the oldest and wisest of us elves, and also a member of the White Way."
If you encounter any problems that you cannot solve, you can seek answers from him; I think he will be happy to help.
(End of this chapter)