Gandalf, Galadriel, and Celeborn discussed the prophecy and the possible hiding place of the one ring.
But just then, a hesitant hand slowly rose.
"I know where the one ring is!"
Gandalf and the other two instantly focused their gazes on Bilbo, filled with surprise.
"Bilbo, you said you know about the one ring?" Gandalf looked at Bilbo with a mix of surprise and doubt.
Bilbo felt uncomfortable under their scrutinizing gazes, but only after feeling Luke's hand on his shoulder did he struggle and muster his courage.
"Actually, the ring you're talking about is right here with me."
Saying that, he pulled the one ring from his pocket and placed it in his palm.
Everyone's gaze was fixed on the golden ring in his palm.
Gandalf stared intently at the ring, his expression uncertain and surprised.
He desperately wanted to confirm if this ring was the one ring.
Celeborn looked at the ring with even greater vigilance, as if he had seen something dangerous.
Galadriel stepped forward, came before Bilbo, and extended her finger, wanting to touch the ring.
"Lady Galadriel!"
Gandalf tried to stop her, worried.
Celeborn, as her husband, did not stop her, but his face also showed concern.
Galadriel's finger ultimately did not touch the ring; she withdrew her hand as if burned by fire, just a few centimeters away.
"Although I do not know if this is the one ring, I sense an evil power from it, so dark, so terrifying, capable of corrupting hearts!"
Galadriel said with a serious and solemn expression.
"The one ring was forged by Sauron in Mount Doom. To confirm if it is the one ring, you just need to burn it with fire."
Gandalf stated the method.
Luke patted Bilbo's shoulder: "Bilbo, put the ring on the table."
Bilbo's arm was getting a bit sore from holding it, so he quickly complied, placing the ring on a nearby stone table.
Luke directly cast a Flame Spell, burning the ring.
Under the scorching flames, mysterious text gradually emerged from within the ring.
Seeing this, Gandalf quickly leaned in, tilting his head to read the inscription: "one ring to rule them all, one ring to find them—"
"one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them." Galadriel calmly recited the second half.
"It seems confirmed now; the one ring has reappeared."
Celeborn frowned deeply, looking at the one ring with apprehension, his expression worried: "With the one ring reappearing, Middle-earth will likely no longer be peaceful!"
After confirming it was the one ring, Gandalf asked Bilbo, very puzzled.
"Bilbo, where did you get this one ring from?"
Bilbo did not hide anything: "When I fell into Goblin Town, I dropped to the bottom of a chasm and picked it up there. It should belong to that Gollum."
Gandalf suddenly understood: "No wonder I didn't see you when I used the Palantír to search for you. Did you get the one ring at that time?"
Bilbo nodded.
Gandalf then nervously scrutinized Bilbo: "You've had the one ring for so long, have you felt any discomfort?"
Saying that, he carefully checked him over.
Bilbo shook his head: "I'm fine. Luke warned me to use it cautiously, so I rarely use it except in dangerous situations."
Hearing this, Gandalf's gaze turned to Luke.
"Luke, you knew the one ring was with Bilbo early on?"
Luke didn't expect Bilbo to expose him so quickly, and he nodded helplessly.
"Bilbo told me when we came out of Goblin Town."
Gandalf looked at Luke with strong disapproval.
"The one ring is very dangerous; even the most powerful people are easily corrupted. You should have told me immediately back then."
Bilbo quickly explained: "This is my fault; I told Luke not to tell anyone! He already warned me, and it was he who told me to reveal the one ring just now!"
"Enough, Mithrandir, the past is unchangeable, and the present urgent matters are more important." Galadriel gently advised.
Hearing this, Gandalf no longer reprimanded the two.
Luke and Bilbo breathed a sigh of relief, then showed grateful expressions to Galadriel.
Gandalf, when angry, was a bit scary, and they were grateful to Lady Galadriel for diffusing the situation.
Subsequently, everyone's gaze once again converged on the one ring.
Gandalf, Galadriel, and Celeborn all treated the one ring as a formidable enemy, not daring to touch it directly, fearing they would be corrupted by its power.
But seeing Bilbo easily hold the one ring in his hand without any ill effect, the three could only marvel at the Creator's wonder, that there could be such a miraculous race as the hobbit, possessing such high resistance to the one ring.
They discussed the possibility of destroying the one ring.
Legolas struck the one ring fiercely with his elven sword, but the recoil made his hand ache.
Yet, not a single mark was left on the one ring. "I remember that four of the Seven Rings of the Dwarves were destroyed by Dragon fire. Perhaps Luke's Dragon could help?" Celeborn suggested.
Gandalf shook his head: "The one ring was forged by Sauron in Mount Doom. Dragon fire can destroy the Seven Rings of the Dwarves, but it cannot destroy the one ring."
But then he looked at Luke,
"Luke, I remember you used that terrifying flame on the battlefield; even hard steel melted instantly. Can you try to destroy the one ring now?"
Luke was also curious if Fiendfyre could destroy the one ring.
After all, in the world of magic, the Fiendfyre Curse could destroy Horcruxes.
And the one ring, to be honest, was somewhat like an upgraded version of a Horcrux. If a Horcrux in the magic world wasn't destroyed, a Wizard wouldn't truly die.
Similarly, if the one ring wasn't destroyed, Sauron's spirit would still exist.
However, he looked at the surrounding treehouse environment and felt it was a bit unsafe.
"The Fiendfyre Curse is a bit dangerous and difficult to control. If I use it, I'll need an open space."
This request was not difficult, and soon everyone moved to an open area.
Then, under everyone's gaze, Luke released Fiendfyre onto the one ring on the ground.
A quiet blue Fiendfyre spewed from his wand, covering the one ring.
The Fiendfyre was violent, trying to spread to other places to strengthen itself, and even attempting to backfire and burn towards the wand.
Luke pulled sharply, controlling the Fiendfyre to a small size.
Though small, the Fiendfyre was filled with an aura of destruction, causing everyone watching to become solemn.
At the same time, they also looked forward to the Fiendfyre.
Surely such terrifying magic fire could shake the one ring?
As time passed, the scorching Fiendfyre had burned a large pit in the hard ground, but the one ring remained unchanged.
No, there was still some change.
The one ring had turned completely red, as if it had been heated to a glow.
This sight made everyone's eyes light up.
It was known that when the one ring was previously burned with fire, it only revealed the inscription on it, but the ring itself remained cold.
Now, there was a different change.
Seeing this, Luke's spirits lifted, and he immediately continued to increase the fire, constantly burning the one ring with Fiendfyre.
Thus, time flew by—one hour, two hours—
Gandalf and the Elves were very patient, quietly observing the changes in the one ring, as if they felt no fatigue.
And Luke was also enveloped by Gandalf's power from the Ring of Fire, showing no sign of fatigue.
After a day and a night, Luke finally stopped the Fiendfyre.
He picked up the ring with his wand and examined it carefully. Looking at the still smooth one ring, he couldn't help but frown.
"Did it not work?"
"No, it worked. The flame burned away a part of the ring's power; it is now much dimmer."
Galadriel walked over, looking at the one ring as she spoke.
Everyone quickly observed carefully and then discovered that the one ring's luster had indeed become somewhat dull.
If one didn't look closely, they wouldn't notice it at all.
Everyone's confidence in destroying the one ring immediately increased.
"Then how long will it take to burn it completely?" Luke asked, still unsure.
"With the current fire power, it should only take about a thousand years to completely destroy it." Galadriel slowly approached the one ring, and after sensing it for a moment, she said.
"However, this time will shorten as your power, Luke, increases."
"A thousand years, that's not long; we can wait patiently." Celeborn nodded and said.
And Legolas and Arwen present both agreed.
Only Luke and Bilbo clicked their tongues.
"But I can't wait that long!" Luke loudly grumbled in his heart.
He didn't even know if he could live for a thousand years? Not to mention that these thousand years would require him to continuously burn the one ring with Fiendfyre without stopping.
He would either die of exhaustion or be completely drained!
Gandalf, however, leaned on his staff and shook his head: "A thousand years is too long; there are too many variables during that time, enough for Sauron to re-accumulate his strength. And once Sauron detects the one ring's whereabouts, he will probably snatch it back at all costs, madly."
"We must find a way to destroy the one ring as soon as possible, so Sauron will lose his power and no longer pose a threat to Middle-earth."
"But how can we destroy the one ring? The one ring is indestructible; even scorching Dragon fire cannot harm it. What method could possibly destroy it?"
Celeborn always maintained a certain distance from the one ring, looking at it with vigilance and furrowed brows.
Galadriel looked towards the Far East, her voice ethereal, carrying a sense of destiny:
"The one ring was forged by Sauron in Mount Doom. It was born in the volcano and will surely be destroyed in the volcano. Only the power of Mount Doom can destroy the one ring."
Gandalf frowned upon hearing this and shook his head: "Ever since Sauron was banished after the battle of Dol Guldur, he fled to his stronghold in Mordor in the Far East. That is his lair; not only does it have a large number of Orcs, Trolls, but also the corrupted Easterlings, Haradrim, and even the Black Númenórean.
Besides that, there are also giant bats and fallen winged beasts monitoring the skies. Mordor is now a heavily fortified demonic lair; not even a mosquito can fly in."
"Sauron even possesses a Palantír, allowing him to monitor the entire Mordor region at any time."
"If we take the one ring to Mordor, I'm afraid it will be discovered by Sauron before it even enters Mount Doom. Then, it would simply be handing the one ring directly to Sauron."
"Unless we can lure Sauron out, or divert his attention so he is too preoccupied to care about Mordor." Celeborn suggested.
But the problem was that Sauron had just been severely wounded and was in a weakened state, so he had gathered almost all his dark forces in the Mordor region, making it an impenetrable fortress.
Until he recovered a certain amount of strength, Sauron would remain extremely vigilant, constantly holed up in his lair licking his wounds, and would absolutely not come out easily.
Gandalf, Galadriel, and Celeborn had intended to send the one ring to Mount Doom for destruction.
However, Mordor was now surrounded by Sauron, making it difficult to penetrate from either the sky or the ground.
Furthermore, they were concerned about a potential connection between the one ring and Sauron, fearing that he might sense it if they got too close.
"I think we need to contact Elrond. He understands the one ring better than we do and might offer a different perspective," Gandalf said.
Then he looked at Luke: "Luke, would you mind connecting the Floo Network here?"
Luke nodded.
"Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel, may I borrow your fireplace?"
Galadriel smiled and nodded.
"Elrond has praised your magic to me before. Let us witness its wonder."
"This way, when Arwen wishes to visit Rivendell in the future, she won't have to cross the Misty Mountains."
As she spoke, a flicker of sadness passed through Galadriel's eyes.
Her daughter, Celebrían, had been captured and tortured by Orcs on her way to Lórien to see them, ultimately having to journey across the sea to Valinor for healing.
This became an eternal sorrow for Galadriel and Celeborn.
For this reason, Elrond had specifically entrusted Arwen to their care and upbringing, to ease their grief over their daughter's absence.
Having obtained the consent of Galadriel and Celeborn, Luke continuously cast spells on the fireplace, connecting it to the fireplace in Rivendell.
Then, he sprinkled a handful of Floo Powder and plunged into the green flames, disappearing from sight.
Aside from Gandalf and Bilbo, who were accustomed to it, everyone else looked surprised.
Arwen's eyes sparkled as she watched Luke vanish into the fireplace.
Due to her mother Celebrían's past ordeal, her grandparents and father were uneasy about her traveling thousands of miles and crossing the dangerous Misty Mountains to Rivendell, so she had lived in Lórien since childhood.
Basically, her father Elrond and her two elder brothers, Elrohir and Elladan, would come to Lórien to see her.
Now, with this miraculous teleportation magic, it would be very simple for her to visit Rivendell whenever she wished; she could even travel frequently between the two places, accompanying both her grandparents and her father.
At the same time, she also grew curious about this young Wizard, Luke.
She knew that her grandmother Galadriel had once entrusted this Wizard to craft a magic wand for her, and it was said that this wand was also created by this young Wizard, possessing the ability to allow magical races to cast magic with ease.
Such groundbreaking innovation earned the praise and admiration of even her grandmother Galadriel, who held the most esteemed position among Elves in Middle-earth.
For this, she had also gifted the Elessar emerald, which she had treasured for many years.
Now, there was even this magic that could transport people thousands of miles.
Luke was very different from the other Middle-earth Wizards in her impression, and his magic was even more extraordinary.
She was now even more eager for her own magic wand.
She wondered what kind of magic wand Luke would make for her.
Not long after, green flames lit up in the fireplace again.
Elrond emerged from the fireplace first.
Luke followed close behind.
"Father!" Arwen's eyes lit up, and she gracefully hurried forward.
"Arwen." Elrond lovingly reached out and stroked his daughter's hair, then bowed to Celeborn and Galadriel in greeting.
"Lord Celeborn."
"Lady Galadriel."
As fellow lords, Elrond's status was comparable to Celeborn's.
However, the two in front of him were his in-laws, and Elrond showed respectful deference.
With Elrond's arrival, everyone's attention once again turned to the one ring.
Elrond looked at the ring before him, his expression very complex.
"During the War of the Last Alliance, I was the herald of High King Gil-galad. Sauron, wielding the one ring, was invincible.
Even Gil-galad and Elendil together were no match for Sauron.
That battle was extremely brutal; Gil-galad, the High King of the Noldor, and Elendil, the King of Gondor and Arnor, both fell in battle.
The Sword Narsil was shattered by Sauron's foot.
Just as we faced despair, it was Isildur, son of Elendil, who seized the opportunity to use the shards of Narsil to cut off Sauron's finger, which bore the one ring, causing him to lose his power and his physical form to dissipate. The Last Alliance ultimately achieved a costly victory."
"I tried to persuade Isildur to throw the one ring into Mount Doom, to utterly destroy it and eliminate any chance of Sauron's resurgence."
Elrond sighed.
"But Isildur was corrupted by the ring's power and refused my advice. Afterwards, he was ambushed and killed by Orcs near the Gladden Fields, and the ring he carried with him went missing."
"I had hoped the ring, having fallen into the river, would be carried by the Anduin River into the sea. I never expected it to reappear today!"
Elrond then expressed surprise that Bilbo had possessed the one ring for so long without being corrupted.
"Perhaps this is the wonder of fate; fate created the wondrous race of hobbits, small yet inherently simple,
loving life, without too many desires or ambitions, so much so that the power of the one ring has little effect on them.
And now fate has caused a Hobbit to find the one ring once more."
Elrond looked at Bilbo, a smile on his face, his eyes filled with hope.
"I believe fate has given us a sign; the one ring reappearing in the world, and being brought before us, already seals Sauron's doom."
Subsequently, Elrond and Gandalf and the others once again discussed methods for destroying the one ring.
Elrond agreed with the suggestion of casting the one ring into Mount Doom.
"However, now is not the opportune moment," Elrond stated.
"After the last battle of Dol Guldur, I sent word to the Regent of the Kingdom of Gondor in the South, warning him. Gondor quickly dispatched people to scout deep into Mordor, but the results were not satisfactory."
"Sauron is now extremely cautious. The entire region of Mordor is monitored by giant bats, and on the ground there are Orcs, Trolls, corrupted Men, corrupted beasts, and even descendants of the Giant Spiders, Ungoliant. It can be said that it is guarded layer by layer, with formidable defenses."
"To penetrate deep into Mordor and reach Mount Doom is almost as difficult as ascending to heaven."
"Then do you have any strategy, Lord Elrond?" Gandalf asked.
"Given the current situation, Sauron will not appear voluntarily; he will even hide in his Mordor lair to regain strength, unless an allied army attacks Mordor, forcing him to show himself, thereby creating an opportunity to secretly enter Mount Doom and destroy the one ring."
Upon saying this, Elrond shook his head. "But now the northern Kingdom of Arnor has fallen, and the southern Kingdom of Gondor has long been without a king, only a regent; while the Kingdom of Rohan is fragmented.
Unless there is a king of sufficient prestige who can gather all Men, and unite with the Elven forces, to once again form an alliance of Men and Elves, only then might it be possible to breach Mordor and force Sauron to appear."
But such a figure had only appeared once, and that was Elendil, King of Gondor and Arnor.
Thinking this, Elrond thought of Aragorn, who now lived in Rivendell.
Aragorn was a direct descendant of Isildur, son of Elendil, and the heir to the royal house of Arnor in the North. The royal house of Gondor in the South no longer existed.
Aragorn was the most suitable heir to the Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor.
Once Aragorn became King of Gondor and Arnor, the Kingdom of Rohan would also have to pledge allegiance to the King of Gondor, according to their oath.
This would allow the forces of the Human Kingdoms to be integrated, forming a strong resistance against Mordor.
However, Aragorn was only ten years old at the moment and could not bear such a responsibility.
"Secondly, after Sauron regains a certain amount of strength, he will inevitably expand outwards. At that time, we can intercept the dark forces,
thereby attracting Sauron's attention, and then have a small team quietly carry the one ring into Mount Doom to complete the mission of destroying it."
After hearing this, Gandalf and the others nodded, agreeing with Elrond's suggestion.
"But the problem is, who will take the one ring to Mount Doom? The one ring has the power to corrupt hearts, and we dare not touch it. Who then can undertake such a long journey with the ring and ensure they will not be influenced by it?"
Hearing Gandalf's words, everyone's gaze involuntarily fell upon Bilbo.
Bilbo, seeing their gazes, quickly waved his hands frantically.
"No, not me!"
He had just experienced the perilous journey of the Lonely Mountain expedition, and his heart could not endure another, even more dangerous mission.
Seeing his strong resistance, everyone withdrew their gazes.
The matter of escorting the ring to Mount Doom was not urgent for now, and there was no need to decide immediately who would go.
Since the one ring could not be destroyed at present, everyone began discussing how to handle it, and who should be entrusted with its safekeeping.
"The matter of the one ring concerns the safety of Middle-earth. Should we inform Saruman?" Elrond said.
After all, as the leader of the White Council, not calling him during the last battle of Dol Guldur had already greatly angered Saruman, creating a rift between them.
If he were not informed about the one ring this time, Saruman might become completely disaffected, which would not be conducive to the unity of the White Council.
Hearing Elrond's words, Gandalf was silent for a moment, then nodded: "The matter of Dol Guldur was urgent last time, and there wasn't time to inform him. But this time, the matter of the one ring must indeed be explained to him, otherwise, I fear we will lose an ally."
The others also expressed agreement.
"If you don't want Sauron to know about the one ring, I'm afraid I don't advise you to tell Saruman about it," Luke suddenly interjected.
Everyone was drawn to his words, their expressions varied.
"Luke, what do you mean?" Gandalf frowned and looked at him in surprise, "Why would Sauron know if we tell Saruman?"
Elrond, Galadriel, and the others also looked at him with confusion.
Facing everyone's gaze, Luke's expression was calm.
"You all should know that I possess a Palantír, and these stones can communicate with each other. During the Battle of Five Armies, Sauron tried to influence me through the stone, but I repelled him with Eärendil's Light, gifted by Lady Galadriel."
"But what you don't know is that Saruman also possesses a Palantír, and he is likely currently conversing heatedly with Sauron using that stone. If you tell him about the one ring, Sauron will likely know the very next second!"
Upon hearing Luke's words, everyone immediately fell silent.
Gandalf's expression was very serious.
"Luke, this is a very serious accusation!"
"Moreover, the accused is the most prestigious White Wizard in Middle-earth, and the leader of the White Council. Do you have evidence to prove Saruman's collusion with Sauron?"
Although Elrond and Galadriel did not speak, their expressions were also very serious.
They knew Luke would not make groundless accusations, but they were also unwilling to believe that Saruman would fall.
In their opinion, although Saruman was somewhat arrogant and stubborn, he had been the leader against the dark forces for thousands of years.
If he truly succumbed to darkness, it would be a huge blow to the side of justice.
Evidence? Luke naturally had it.
He raised his wand to his temple and slowly drew out a memory thread.
"Lady Galadriel, pardon the trouble!"
Galadriel nodded, understanding Luke's meaning, and led everyone to her private garden.
In a corner of the garden, water flowed from a fountain on a hillside, forming a small stream that flowed into a silver basin placed on a pedestal carved into the shape of tree branches.
The silver basin was wide and shallow, with a silver pitcher placed beside it.
This was the Mirror of Galadriel, which could reveal visions of the past, present, and future.
Galadriel picked up the silver pitcher, filled it with stream water, and then slowly poured it into the silver basin.
The surface of the water in the silver basin rippled, turning into an illusory water mirror, as if countless illusions were emerging within it.
Having done all this, Galadriel stepped aside and gestured for Luke to continue.
Luke came before the silver basin and shook the silver thread wrapped around the tip of his wand into the basin.
As soon as the silver thread fell into the basin, it quickly dispersed and merged with the water.
Illusory images immediately emerged from the water mirror.
Everyone couldn't help but gather around, their eyes fixed on the images within.
They saw images of Saruman communicating with the Dark Lord Sauron using a Palantír, Gandalf discovering Saruman's betrayal after arriving at Isengard but being trapped in the high tower by Saruman, and Saruman creating Orc variants that were not afraid of sunlight.
These images were very fragmented, but without exception, they all indicated the fact of Saruman's descent into darkness.
Seeing these images, everyone was very shocked and disbelieving.
Gandalf's expression was very serious and solemn, his gaze fixed on the content in the images, trying to gain more information from them.
Elrond also looked at the images, quickly reacted, and looked at Luke in surprise:
"These are scenes that haven't happened yet, are they future images you saw? Did you foresee them?"
The others also looked at Luke in surprise.
Luke nodded and then shook his head: "It's not really a prophecy, more like a premonition, after all, prophecies are unchangeable."
In fact, some of these images were indeed seen during previous prophecies.
But a larger portion were false memories created by Luke based on the known plot.
He was not someone who didn't hold grudges; Saruman's repeated denigration as a 'third-rate sorcerer' earlier gave him an opportune moment to expose his true colors.
Moreover, he was not afraid of Gandalf and the others' suspicion.
After all, these were all things Saruman would do in the future; he hadn't slandered him in the slightest.
Therefore, Luke was full of confidence and felt no guilt.
Galadriel, Elrond, and the others fell silent upon seeing this.
They finally accepted the fact that their former ally might have betrayed them.
"How should we deal with Saruman's fall?" Gandalf asked.
Elrond shook his head: "We don't have real, conclusive evidence for this matter right now, so we can't immediately confront Saruman. To prevent him from becoming vigilant and defensive, we can only investigate secretly and slowly gather evidence."
The truth was, Saruman's identity and power were extraordinary; he was not only the chief of the Wizards but also the leader of the White Council.
Any rash action could easily cause instability in the entire situation of Middle-earth.
"And the matter of the one ring also needs to be kept from him, to avoid more unforeseen circumstances," Elrond said.
Galadriel and Gandalf both nodded in agreement.
Now that they knew Saruman had ulterior motives, it was naturally impossible to let him know about the appearance of the one ring.
"Then who will temporarily keep the one ring?" Celeborn asked.
Since they couldn't destroy the one ring for now, they needed a safe storage plan to prevent any mishaps before the one ring could be taken to Mount Doom for destruction.
The question of who would keep the one ring again put everyone in a difficult position.
The one ring had the power to tempt and corrupt hearts, and no matter who was entrusted with its safekeeping, it was difficult to guarantee that they would not be influenced by its power.
Especially those with stronger power, the harder it was to resist the one ring's allure.
If powerful individuals like Gandalf or Galadriel were influenced or even corrupted and fell, it would truly be a disaster.
Therefore, for safety, the one ring could not be entrusted to powerful individuals.
Considering this, it seemed that the choice for guarding the one ring once again fell back to Bilbo.
"I believe that since fate allowed Bilbo to encounter the one ring, he can continue to keep it until a decision is made to destroy this ring," Celeborn suggested.
"Among all of us, only Bilbo is least affected by the one ring's influence, making him the safest choice for its safekeeping."
There was one more thing Celeborn didn't say, which was that Bilbo posed the least threat; even if he were influenced by the one ring, it wouldn't cause too much harm.
Gandalf shook his head in disagreement: "The one ring has little influence on hobbits, but that doesn't mean it has none. We cannot gamble with Bilbo's safety and bet that the one ring will not harm him."
Elrond also agreed with Gandalf.
Galadriel had not interjected into the discussion until everyone sought her opinion, at which point she turned her head to Luke: "Luke, what is your opinion?"
Hearing this, Gandalf and the others also looked at him.
Although Luke was somewhat surprised that Galadriel would ask him, he still said:
"I know of a candidate; in his hands, the one ring is no different from an ordinary ring, and with the one ring in his hands, there's no need to worry about anyone taking it, not even Sauron himself!"
Hearing Luke's words, everyone was very surprised. Was there such a person in Middle-earth?
"Who are you talking about?" Elrond asked in surprise.
Luke smiled and replied: "It's Tom Bombadil, who lives in the Old Forest."
Elrond was stunned upon hearing this, then suddenly realized.
He nodded: "If it's Bombadil, then he is indeed a good candidate."
Galadriel and Celeborn also recalled this person.
However, in Sindarin, Bombadil has another name: Iarwain Ben-adar, meaning "Oldest and Fatherless." Tom Bombadil is very ancient, having existed since the Elves awoke at Cuiviénen.
He even lived with the Elves for a period of time.
Therefore, some ancient Elves had heard of his name.
Tom's identity is mysterious, but his power is undeniable.
So Galadriel and Celeborn did not object to the proposal of entrusting the one ring to Tom Bombadil for safekeeping.
Only Gandalf was somewhat uneasy:
"Bombadil's nature is like the clouds in the sky; he simply doesn't understand the importance of this. If you give him this ring, he's very likely to quickly forget about it, or even throw it away.
Such matters don't exist in his mind. I think he's an unreliable guardian."
Hearing this, Elrond also hesitated.
"Actually, there's no need to worry too much. Although Tom is somewhat unreliable, his wife Goldberry is a meticulous lady. As long as the importance of the matter is explained to Lady Goldberry, there's no need to worry about Tom being careless and losing the one ring," Luke added.
Luke had lived with Tom and Goldberry for a period and knew that while Tom was a bit eccentric, Goldberry was very careful and gentle.
Tom and Goldberry had helped Luke, so it felt a bit unfair for Luke to trouble them with this matter.
But only by entrusting the one ring to Tom for safekeeping would there be no need to worry about the one ring corrupting people, and no need to worry about Sauron being able to take the one ring from Tom's hands.
Of course, all of this still required seeking Tom and Goldberry's opinions.
If they didn't want to take on this trouble, then they would just find another way.
So Luke told them his thoughts.
This time, Gandalf also did not object, as he would be very happy for someone to guard this dangerous item if its safety could be guaranteed.
Furthermore, if Bombadil could permanently keep the one ring from Sauron, there would be no need to risk going to Mount Doom to destroy the one ring.
After all, once the one ring was destroyed, the three Elven Rings would lose their power.
Gandalf didn't care whether the Ring of Fire was lost or not.
But without the protection of the power of the Elven Rings, Lórien and Rivendell would gradually decline.
Just as Luke's prophecy foretold: the Age of Elves would end, and the Age of Men would come.
Gandalf and the Elves all knew that day would come and were prepared for it, but they still hoped that day could arrive a little later.
Since the destination of the one ring had been decided, everyone no longer hesitated and decided that after leaving Lórien this time, they would take the one ring to visit Tom Bombadil.
And given that no one dared to touch the one ring, it was decided that Bilbo would temporarily continue to keep it.
Bilbo hadn't expected the one ring to return to his hands; although it was only for a period, he was still somewhat happy.
However, to prevent the one ring from continuing to corrupt Bilbo, Galadriel took out an exquisite small box inscribed with Elvish runes and locked the one ring inside.
This exquisite small box was made during Sauron's powerful period to prevent Sauron from discovering the three Elven Rings, and it had shielding capabilities.
As long as the one ring was placed inside, its influence on Bilbo would be minimized.
Seeing this, Luke also decided to contribute and spoke of the plan he had already thought of:
"I have a Fidelius Charm here that can hide the secret of the one ring deep within the soul. As long as the Secret-Keeper doesn't speak, no one can reveal information about the ring, not even with Legilimency.
Most importantly, even if outsiders know about the one ring, even if it is placed right in front of them, they simply cannot see or touch it."
"This way, the safety of the one ring can be guaranteed to the greatest extent, preventing anyone other than us from knowing about the one ring."
Upon hearing the effects of the Fidelius Charm, everyone's eyes immediately lit up.
Gandalf had long witnessed the power of Luke's Vow Charm, which could make even the great dragon Smaug submit.
Now, upon hearing about the Fidelius Charm, a contract magic used to protect secrets, he immediately urged Luke to cast the spell.
Everyone else also looked at Luke with anticipation.
After all, if the One Ring could truly be kept secret, there would be no need to worry about Sauron finding it.
"The Fidelius Charm requires a Secret Keeper to store the secret of the One Ring deep within their soul. As long as the Secret Keeper does not reveal the secret, outsiders will be unable to know its contents. Does anyone here wish to be the Secret Keeper?"
Luke finally asked for everyone's opinion.
The role of the Secret Keeper was crucial, but none of the people present were likely to reveal secrets.
Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond, and Celeborn were especially ideal candidates, not only powerful and wise but also righteous figures.
So Luke did not care who was chosen as the Secret Keeper.
However, he did not expect that the very people he had in mind would exchange a knowing glance and then, by unspoken agreement, turn their gaze to Luke.
Gandalf, in particular, spoke for the others, saying cheerfully, "One matter, one master. We don't know much about the Fidelius Charm, so it's best if Luke you take on the role of Secret Keeper."
Me? Luke was also surprised.
He hadn't expected them to give the position of Secret Keeper to him in the end.
Although it was somewhat unexpected, Luke did not refuse. A Secret Keeper it would be.
Anyway, he wasn't worried that anyone could force him to reveal the secret.
Once decided, Luke formally began the secrecy ritual.
There were eight people present: Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel, Celeborn, Bilbo, Legolas, Arwen, and Luke himself.
Luke had Bilbo place the One Ring on the ground, then, with the One Ring as the center, everyone formed a circle, placing their hands together.
He then placed his magic wand on their hands and began to chant the spell.
As the incantation was recited, a silver-gray light trailed from the tip of the wand, solidifying upon landing, like a circle cast from moonlight, enveloping everyone within it.
"By soul as a box, hide this secret until the end." Luke silently recited his name and the oath.
As soon as his voice fell, a point of silver light shot out from each person within the light circle, converging and directly merging into Luke.
Everyone instantly felt an emptiness within, as if some secret had been taken from them.
At the same time, the light circle surrounding everyone instantly contracted, transforming into a thin ring that drilled into Luke's heart.
Luke only felt that something had been added to his soul, and only he held the key to unlock it.
"All right, it's done!" Luke withdrew his magic wand and said.
"Is that all?" Legolas asked in surprise.
"You can try telling someone else," Luke said with a smile.
Legolas opened his mouth, trying to speak the secret of the One Ring, but found that there seemed to be some kind of restriction binding him, preventing him from revealing even a tiny bit of the secret.
The others also tried curiously and, like Legolas, could not speak the secret of the One Ring.
"Madam, how do you feel?" Gandalf asked Galadriel with a chuckle.
Galadriel revealed a brilliant smile, nodding in praise: "A very unique and magical contract magic. It hid all the secrets about the One Ring in our hearts deep within Luke's soul. I don't think I can find a way to break it either."
The others were even more surprised and relieved to hear this. To receive such high praise from Lady Galadriel, the One Ring must be even safer.
And the following scene made everyone completely at ease.
When the elf Haldir came to inform everyone that they could attend the dinner, even though the One Ring was placed on the table in front of him, he ignored it as if he could not see it.
Even when Celeborn specifically asked him what he saw on the table, Haldir shook his head, saying he saw nothing.
With the hidden danger resolved, the atmosphere among everyone became relaxed and pleasant.
In the time that followed, everyone finally had time to immerse themselves in the beautiful scenery of Lórien.
Here there were eternally green trees and grass, eternally blooming flowers, and golden Mallorn trees.
Mallorn trees, besides Lórien, only grew in the holy land of Valinor in the West, and were said to be related to one of the two trees, the Golden Tree.
Mallorn trees were not only tall and beautiful, but also magic trees containing magic. From Luke's perspective as a wandmaker, they were simply the best material for making magic wands!
If the wand masters of the magic world were to see this entire forest of Mallorn trees, they would probably go crazy, like a mouse entering a rice bin.
Speaking of magic wand making, Luke had already begun making magic wands for Arwen and the others these past few days.
After all, debts must be repaid as soon as possible to feel at ease.
And upon hearing that Luke was going to make a magic wand for Arwen, Galadriel directly sent a section of Mallorn tree core, taken from a branch of the tallest and largest Mallorn tree where Galadriel and Celeborn resided.
Looking at the five-meter-long tree core, Luke's eyes lit up.
How many magic wands could be made from such a long tree core?
And as the oldest Mallorn tree in Lórien, this section of tree core contained immense magic, and the magic wands made from it would surely be powerful.
Elrond, on the other hand, gave Luke an even greater surprise: he actually sent a branch of the White Tree.
According to Elrond, this branch was taken from the first White Tree in the southern kingdom of Gondor.
The branch was entirely white, and Elrond must have preserved it remarkably, as it remained active even after such a long time.
Luke was very pleasantly surprised to encounter two top-tier magic wand making materials at once.
He decided that while making magic wands for Arwen and the others, he could also make a few more magic wands, either for himself or for others in the future.
He could even consider replicating Ollivander's wand shop, becoming the only wand shop in Middle-earth.
Of course, to obtain a magic wand made by him, it could not merely be bought with money, unless one could trade with conditions that satisfied Luke.
After all, every magic wand he now agreed to make for others had garnered him a considerable reward.
This was the value of a monopoly.
Making one magic wand and making a batch of magic wands actually didn't take much more time; besides some steps that required manual work, other steps could be done simultaneously.
Thus, the making of magic wands for Arwen, Elrohir, Elladan, and Legolas proceeded in parallel.
For this, Luke even summoned Elrohir and Elladan, who were staying in Rivendell, to Lórien to test their compatibility with the magic wand wood.
For the entire month that followed, Luke was busy making their magic wands.
During this period, Luke also did not forget to ask Elrond to heal the great dragon Smaug's injured wing.
"Of course, that's no problem. I'm quite curious about this great dragon you've tamed," Elrond said with a cheerful agreement.
To avoid Smaug scaring the elves of Lórien, Luke could not bring him into the forest.
So Luke and Elrond had to go outside the forest to find Smaug.
Luke gave the flying broom to Elrond to ride, while he himself transformed into an Animagus and flew over.
Elrond was very interested in the unique flying method of the flying broom. After Luke briefly explained the flying operation, he quickly mastered the flying method and followed Luke on the broom.
But even with the not-so-elegant method of flying on a broom, Elrond still looked pleasing to the eye, with graceful movements.
Luke could only sigh, elves truly are the most perfect race in this world; they can even be so elegant riding a broom.
Flying over the Golden Forest, the two found the great dragon Smaug hunting outside the forest.
Watching Smaug effortlessly bite a wild ox to death and skillfully roast it with dragon fire.
Elrond deeply sighed:
"Before, I was worried that your trip to the Lonely Mountain would anger this great dragon, thus causing a greater disaster, so I never approved of Gandalf's plan.
But I never expected that one trip to the Lonely Mountain would not only help the dwarves reclaim the Lonely Mountain, but also allow you to subdue a great dragon!"
"Luke, you have made history." Elrond looked at Luke, his eyes full of admiration,
"Great dragons are dark creatures created by Morgoth, cunning, violent, and malicious. In ancient times, they followed Morgoth, bringing misfortune and destruction, and were considered untamable powerful creatures."
"But Luke, you have successfully subdued a great dragon, something even Sauron failed to do."
Luke shook his head: "Lord Elrond, you flatter me. I merely relied on a little magic to fortunately make the great dragon submit. To speak of the greatest, it is none other than your father Eärendil. His feat of slaying the great dragon Ancalagon is truly admirable and inspiring!"
The great dragon Ancalagon was the first winged great dragon created by Morgoth, and also the largest great dragon. Legend says he was so large he could obscure the sun, the strongest great dragon in history.
During the War of Wrath, Morgoth's army was defeated by the Valar's army, so he released the dragon army led by Ancalagon to make a final stand.
Ancalagon led the great dragons to spew lightning, storms, and fire, once driving back the Valar's army.
At the critical moment, Eärendil, wearing the Silmaril, arrived on his flying ship and battled the great dragon Ancalagon. After fighting fiercely for a day and a night, he finally slew him before dawn.
Ancalagon's fall from high altitude, destroying several mountains, was enough to show how enormous his size was.
The great dragon Smaug was a tiny shrimp in front of him, not even worth mentioning.
Hearing Luke's praise, even though he knew it was flattery, a smile flickered in Elrond's eyes.
Elrond's life was full of hardships. When he and his twin brother Elros were young, enemies attacked and slaughtered their people, and their mother jumped into the sea with the Silmaril to commit suicide. The two brothers were abducted and raised by their enemies.
But after growing up, Elrond chose to become an elf, while his brother Elros chose to become human, and he experienced the pain of losing a loved one again.
After meeting his beloved and starting a family, having twins and a young daughter, his wife Celebrían was captured by Orcs and subjected to torture.
Although she was eventually rescued, she was physically and mentally exhausted and could only travel across the sea to Valinor to recuperate.
But even after suffering so many hardships and separations, Elrond's heart remained resilient and strong.
Although his father Eärendil's time with him was very short, he was deeply influenced by him and always persevered in the fight against evil. Getting back to the point, Luke and Elrond had just arrived beside the great dragon Smaug.
Smaug immediately launched into a series of complaints, grumbling that Luke was enjoying the good life in Lórien, yet had forgotten about him, the dragon.
He complained that he had to endure wind and rain while fending for himself.
Looking at Elrond's surprised and amused expression.
Luke felt a wave of embarrassment and snapped, "Shut up! I brought Lord Elrond to heal your wing. If you say one more word, we're going straight back!"
Hearing Luke's words, Smaug's eyes instantly lit up, and he immediately shut his mouth.
He had suffered enough from not being able to fly, but ever since his wing was pierced by the magic spear aeglos, the wound had been difficult to heal, and even flapping it was extremely painful.
Now that he heard it could be healed, he was naturally filled with anticipation and dared not complain anymore.
And Elrond, observing the interaction between the great dragon and Luke, commented with a smile, "Your great dragon is quite interesting!"
"He's just a stupid dragon, you're seeing me make a fool of myself," Luke said helplessly.
Smaug was indignant at the remark, but after Luke glared at him, he immediately pulled his head back and fell silent.
After having Smaug lie still on the ground, the two approached the wound at the base of his wing.
Elrond looked at the wound, which had been slow to heal, and raised an eyebrow: "There's a violent energy attached to the wound. No wonder it hasn't healed for so long, even with a dragon's self-healing ability. But the marks of this wound look a bit familiar. Was it caused by the spear aeglos?"
Although it was a question, Elrond's tone carried certainty.
Luke nodded, praising, "Lord Elrond's gaze is always so keen."
Elrond shook his head, "It's just that the spear aeglos left a deep impression."
Elrond then took out some Kingsfoil he had picked from Galadriel's garden, chanting ancient Elvish while continuously rubbing it, then smeared the Kingsfoil leaves onto Smaug's wound.
Kingsfoil, also known as King's Weed or Athelas, was brought to Middle-earth by the Númenórean and is a very miraculous plant.
It has slender leaves and emits a sweet, rich fragrance.
More importantly, it possesses miraculous healing properties, capable of healing wounds, delaying toxicity, and even blocking the influence of evil forces.
In the War of the Ring, Aragorn used Kingsfoil to heal Faramir, Éowyn, and Merry, who had been wounded by the Nazgûl's Black Breath.
Of course, the wound on the great dragon Smaug's wing was left by the spear aeglos, so even Kingsfoil could not completely heal it. Elrond only used it as a medium for treatment.
The true healing power came from Vilya, the Ring of Air, which Elrond wore on his hand.
Unlike narya, the Ring of Fire, which serves to inspire and relieve fatigue, Vilya, the Ring of Air, functions for healing and protection. Thus, Elrond, by harnessing Vilya's power, became the most formidable healer in Middle-earth.
For example, when Frodo was stabbed by a Nazgûl's morgul blade, it was Elrond who used the power of the Ring of Air to heal his wound.
And the wound on Smaug's wing also rapidly healed under the combined effect of Kingsfoil and the Ring of Air.
After healing the wound, Elrond withdrew his hand.
"Alright, the wound has healed. Try to flap your wings and see if you can?"
Smaug flapped his wings tentatively after hearing this. When he felt no pain, his eyes lit up, and he excitedly flapped his wings wildly, stirring up a gust of wind.
"Haha, I can finally fly again!"
Luke was almost blown away by the strong wind. He waved his hand to set up a magic barrier, shielding himself and Elrond from the gale.
Then, in a huff, he threw a spell at Smaug's head.
"Quiet down!"
Smaug was stunned by the sudden spell. Seeing the messy surroundings, he grinned sheepishly and quickly stopped.
Seeing that Smaug could fly, Luke did not restrict him to staying there and allowed him to move freely.
However, before he left, he repeatedly warned him not to cause trouble, especially not to plunder other people's treasures.
When that fellow saw gold, his eyes couldn't move away, just like a dog seeing a bone.
Luke certainly didn't want dwarves to come knocking on his door one day, claiming that a great dragon had stolen their treasure.
And when Smaug heard Luke's command, his excitement greatly diminished, and he became dispirited.
Seeing this, Luke was glad he had spoken early.
Otherwise, if this fellow really committed robbery, it would be his reputation that suffered.
After healing the great dragon Smaug's wound, Luke and Elrond did not linger and returned to Lórien.
After expressing his gratitude to Elrond, Luke, adhering to the idea of not troubling two masters for one task, shamelessly continued to ask Elrond to examine his other pet.
Elrond, being good-tempered, nodded and agreed without hesitation.
However, when he opened his spatial bag and saw the young eagle inside, he was immediately surprised.
"Is this a fledgling of the Great Eagle tribe?"
Luke nodded.
"The Eagle King entrusted him to me. He was born weaker than his other siblings and wouldn't survive long if he continued to stay in the flock, so he asked me to take him and care for him."
Elrond understood, observing the young eagle in the spatial bag, who was looking up and chirping at them, carefully for a while.
Then he showed a compassionate look: "Poor little fellow, he is indeed congenitally deficient, and coupled with long-term malnutrition, his body is very weak. If he cannot be raised well, I am afraid he will not be able to fly even when he reaches adulthood."
"However, I think it's also fortunate that he met you. He seems to have been doing well these days and has recovered quite a bit."
"By the way, what's his name?"
"Thorondor, his name is Thorondor," Luke replied.
"Thorondor." Elrond looked at him in surprise, "The name of the Eagle King. It seems you have high hopes for him!"
Luke released Thorondor along with his enormous eagle's nest, and with a gentle gaze, he stroked the young eagle's head as it affectionately nuzzled him. He shook his head and said, "I don't expect him to achieve anything grand; I only hope that the name Thorondor can bless him, allowing him to soar freely in the sky like his ancestors."
"Lord Elrond, your medical skills are unmatched in Middle-earth. Can you cure Thorondor's congenital deficiency?"
Elrond nodded, "That's not a problem, but it will require a period of treatment, so you'll need to send him to Rivendell to stay for a while. I hope you are mentally prepared."
Luke was delighted to hear this and quickly nodded in agreement: "Being able to cure him is the best news! Once things here are handled, I will bring Thorondor to Rivendell to trouble you."
After having Elrond heal the great dragon Smaug and solving the problem of the young eagle Thorondor, Luke continued to busy himself with the wand matters.
Once the five wand shafts were made, Luke carefully inserted the already prepared cores, one by one, into the small holes at the wands' ends, using Mallorn tree resin as an adhesive to fuse the shaft and core into one.
Finally, after sanding and polishing, the five finished wands were completely formed.
Looking at the five splendid wands, varying in length and color, Luke was immediately filled with a sense of accomplishment.
As it was moonlight, Luke placed the five wands under the moonlight, pointing his own wand at them and continuously chanting a complex and long incantation.
The moonlight in the sky seemed to be drawn in, gathering into a silver glow that was absorbed by the five wands.
The five wands seemed to be endowed with life, and faint magical fluctuations, like a heartbeat, emanated from within them.
Not far away, Arwen, Elrohir, Elladan, and Legolas were all waiting expectantly for their wands.
Gandalf, Galadriel, and others quietly observed.
After completing the final wand awakening ceremony, Luke called Arwen and the others over: "Come and choose your companions."
Upon hearing this, they immediately walked over impatiently, looking at the five wands displayed on the table with anticipation.
"Who wants to go first?" Luke asked with a smile, looking at their expressions.
However, without waiting for them to decide, he looked directly at Arwen: "Ladies first, Princess Arwen, please go ahead!"
Elrohir and the other two exchanged glances. Since it was already decided, why bother asking them?
Arwen stepped forward first, looking at the five wands before her, and couldn't help but ask, "Which one is mine?"
Luke smiled and shook his head, saying mysteriously, "You'll only know after trying."
Saying that, he handed her one of the wands, "Fifteen inches, Mallorn tree core wand, the core is a strand of Lady Galadriel's hair."
Arwen took the wand, looking at him a little nervously: "What should I do?"
"Give it a wave and see."
Arwen immediately waved the wand, and a white light shot out from it.
Arwen was delighted, and just as she thought this was her wand, Luke snatched the wand from her hand and shook his head.
"It's close, but the length isn't right."
Then he handed out another wand.
"Twelve and a quarter inches, Mallorn tree core wand, a Great Eagle's crest feather."
Arwen took the wand and waved it, and immediately a gentle breeze swirled, scattering her dark long hair.
She looked at Luke somewhat pleadingly; she felt this one seemed to work as well.
However, Luke shook his head and took it back.
"Still a bit off."
"Try this one again, fifteen inches, Mallorn tree core, Lady Galadriel's hair, listening to this one… never mind." Before even giving it to Arwen, Luke took the wand back.
Under Arwen's questioning gaze, Luke finally handed her a shorter, and the only snow-white, wand.
"This is it. Nine and a half inches, Holy White Tree shaft, the core is a strand of Lady Galadriel's hair."
Arwen took the wand and felt it become an extension of her hand, instantly falling into a wondrous state. The moonlight in the sky seemed to be drawn to her, interplaying with the Evenstar necklace hanging on her chest.
The others were also very surprised to see this scene.
Galadriel even showed a brilliant smile, happy for Arwen.
Arwen got her own wand and happily went to show it to her father and grandmother.
As for the remaining three male elves, Luke simply waved them over.
Then, to their astonished expressions, he clearly placed one wand into each of their hands.
"Here, Prince Elrohir and Prince Elladan, both of your wands are fifteen-inch Mallorn tree core, and the cores are also strands of Lady Galadriel's hair."
"This twelve and a quarter inch, Mallorn tree core wand, with a Great Eagle crest feather core, is yours, Legolas."
Seeing Luke simply shove the wands into their hands, the three of them were a bit bewildered.
"Luke, don't we need to test them like Arwen did?" Legolas asked, puzzled.
Luke shook his head, looking candid: "Test what? I already matched them for you before, of course I knew what wands suited you."
"Then why did you test Arwen just now?"
"Girls, you know, always need a bit of special treatment, more options," Luke said casually, making up an excuse.
Was he supposed to say he was going through Ollivander's wand selection process?
However, the three male elves were not easily fooled and immediately looked at him with suspicion.
Especially Elladan and Elrohir, who instantly looked at Luke with vigilance.
It was as if they were looking at a petty thief who was coveting their precious family members.
Elves have keen hearing.
Not far away, Elrond narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Luke, seemingly trying to judge the truth of his words.
Celeborn also looked at Luke with sharp eyes.
And Galadriel's gaze towards Luke also carried a meaningful smile.
Luke instinctively felt a chill and immediately met their eyes.
No, did you misunderstand something?
Luke yelled in his heart.
In any case, Luke finally paid back the wands he owed.
And besides the wands for Arwen and the other three, Luke also made one extra wand.
It was a twelve-inch wand made from Mallorn tree core and a strand of Lady Galadriel's hair.
This was Luke's second backup wand for himself.
This wand was very suitable for casting White magic, and because the core was Lady Galadriel's hair, holding it in hand could resist the erosion of darkness and protect the mind.
The only drawback was that Dark Arts could not be cast with this wand.
With the wands completed, the mission in Lórien was pretty much done.
However, he had no intention of leaving immediately.
Because Gandalf was going to craft a staff for him.
The wood for the staff was finally decided to be Mallorn tree core, which was the remaining portion of the core Lady Galadriel had given him earlier.
That section of the core was five meters long, and after making wands for Elrohir, Elladan, Legolas, and Luke himself, there was still more than three meters left.
It was more than enough to make a staff.
While Gandalf was crafting Luke's staff, the Elven craftsmen also helped.
And Luke watched from the side.
The Elven craftsmen's artistry was exquisite, and their aesthetic taste was first-class; under their carving, a perfect and fluid staff gradually took shape.
The Elven craftsmen carved exquisite and natural floral patterns and vines along the wood grain, and outlined Elven runes with Mithril threads as fine as hair.
Gandalf, on the other hand, held the Elessar emerald, which was to be the core of the staff, in his hand, continuously chanting incantations.
The gem was activated, emitting a jade-like glow that made everyone bathed in its light feel a warmth, as if it were the spring sun.
The top of the staff was carved by the Elven craftsmen into a hollow shape of closed Mallorn tree leaves.
Gandalf held the staff in his hand, and as he chanted the spell, the closed Mallorn tree leaves at the staff's head opened. He placed the Elessar emerald inside, carefully adjusted and installed it, and then the carved Mallorn tree leaves automatically closed, firmly embedding the gem within.
After all that, Gandalf held the staff in his hand, felt it carefully, and then nodded with satisfaction.
Immediately, he handed the staff to Luke, who was already eagerly waiting, and said with a smile, "This is your staff. Try it to see if it fits?"
Luke eagerly took the staff, his face full of smiles as he looked at the magnificent staff.
The staff was about 6 feet, or 1.82 meters, long, roughly his height. It was golden-brown all over, with smooth grain lines, mysterious silver runes outlined on it, and lifelike floral patterns and vines carved into it.
The hollow, leaf-shaped head of the staff was inlaid with an emerald that shimmered with a jade-like glow, as if endless mysteries were contained within.
The staff as a whole was natural and elegant, revealing the craftsmanship of the Elves.
"Lumos!"
Luke cast a spell with the staff, and magic flowed through the staff into the gem. The gem instantly released a dazzling light that illuminated Caras Galadhon, visible even from outside the Lórien forest.
Luke was very happy. A staff is different from a wand. A wand is inward, its main purpose is to channel internal magic to achieve magical effects.
A staff, on the other hand, is outward. A Wizard communicates with the magic in nature through the staff, thereby achieving the goal of casting powerful magic.
More importantly, the gem at the core of the staff is not only an amplifier but also a reservoir; magic can be continuously injected into it, allowing for a single, powerful burst with immense force.
Of course, this does not mean that a staff is superior to a wand.
Wand casting is simple; it's like a stable pipe that can steadily and continuously output the water from the magic reservoir, allowing for free control of the flow's application.
But a staff is like a floodgate; once opened, the torrent is absolutely surging and incredibly powerful, but not easy to control.
Moreover, casting with it requires more time and is not suitable for emergency situations.
Therefore, wands are suitable for precise, high-accuracy magic.
While staffs are suitable for casting large, high-power spells.
"Congratulations, Luke, you now have a staff. You are truly a Black-robed Wizard," Gandalf said with a chuckle.
"I have to thank you, Gandalf, and Lady Galadriel and the Elven craftsmen," Luke said, leaning on his staff, his eyes full of gratitude, "If not for your gifts and help, I couldn't have such a good staff."
Gandalf smiled and shook his head.
"You make wands for me, I make a staff for you. This is mutually beneficial, no need to be polite."
"Alright, now that you have a staff, you should have felt its limitations, right?"
Luke nodded, frowning slightly.
"I feel that when using the staff, the magic is not as easy to control as when casting with a wand. If it's a one-time spell, that's fine, but if I want to continuously cast magic, it's very mentally exhausting."
Gandalf agreed:
"The essence of a staff is for a Wizard to communicate with the power of nature through it, thereby casting magic of great power. After all, people have their limits; no matter how powerful an individual's strength, it cannot compare to the entire world.
And to communicate with the power of nature, one must possess strong mental power, which means having a powerful soul."
"A powerful soul?" Luke was stunned; this touched upon his blind spot of knowledge.
The magic in the Harry Potter world only taught how to cast spells; as for soul-related magic, that was taboo.
For example, the three Unforgivable Curses: Avada Kedavra deprives the soul, Crucio tortures the soul, and Imperio controls the soul.
Without exception, any magic involving the soul fell into the realm of the most evil Dark Arts.
Once someone was discovered researching souls, the outcome was direct imprisonment in Azkaban.
Gandalf truly treated Luke as one of his own, so he unreservedly revealed the secrets of this world:
"Luke, you must know that the soul is the foundation. A powerful soul can perceive the world, influence matter, and communicate with the power of nature.
Ancient Elves like Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond, over long years, accumulated enough wisdom and knowledge, and their souls were tempered to be powerful and indestructible.
Therefore, even without a staff, they can cast magic far stronger than a Wizard."
"If you want to gain greater power, or even better control your staff, then make your soul powerful."
Hearing Gandalf's words, Luke couldn't help but frown.
"Then how does one make the soul powerful?"
Elves have eternal life and can slowly refine their souls over time.
But he was just a Wizard, and not a Maia disguised as a Wizard like Gandalf; his lifespan was limited, and he didn't have that much time.
Gandalf showed a mysterious smile, as if he had been prepared.
"There are many ways to make the soul powerful."
"First, like the Elves, they can, over long years, accumulate enough wisdom and knowledge to break through the soul's limitations and become powerful."
"This method is the simplest and most reliable, but the drawback is that unless you have the time of an Elf, you won't be able to accumulate enough knowledge and wisdom."
Luke immediately ruled out this option upon hearing it.
He didn't have that much time, nor could he spend thousands of years slowly strengthening his soul.
However, he was not in a hurry and continued to listen to Gandalf's narration: "Second, one can undergo various trials and tribulations, allowing the spirit and will to be continuously tempered, thereby possessing an indomitable soul.
Especially experiencing great terror between life and death can most transform the soul. For example, Lord Glorfindel, after killing the Balrog, was reborn with a purer soul, possessing power comparable to a Maia."
Hearing this, Luke immediately shook his head inwardly.
This method sounded very dangerous and completely unreliable; one wrong move could mean losing one's life.
After all, not everyone could be like Glorfindel, granted a chance at rebirth by the Valar.
Gandalf seemed to have seen Luke's thoughts and said with a smile, revealing the third method:
"Third, there is meditation. This is also the method I recommend as most suitable for you."
"Meditation?" Luke questioned.
"Yes, meditation. Meditation can temper the spirit and will. Although it's not as quick as life-and-death trials, it's much faster than slowly accumulating knowledge and wisdom," Gandalf explained.
"This is the little trick I told you about before, that I would give you once you had a staff."
"Then how does one meditate?"
"Meditation is not difficult, nor is it simple. Simply put, it means clearing all distracting thoughts, emptying your mind, or focusing on only one thing. In my leisure time, I go to the Hall of Fire in Rivendell to sit and meditate."
"You need to meditate too?"
Luke was surprised, as Gandalf was a Maia, with an incredibly powerful soul. Why would he still need to meditate?
Gandalf seemed to know what he was thinking and said meaningfully, "Meditation is never exclusive to one type of person, Luke. Even the great Valar need to meditate; it's just a matter of how deep the meditation is."
"Alright, now back to how to meditate," Gandalf said, "In fact, you already have a meditation method,
and it can even be said to be far better than the meditation I had in mind, only you haven't realized it yourself."
"I already have a meditation method?" Luke was stunned and confused. How could he not remember when he had a meditation method?
"Have you forgotten the music Tom Bombadil taught you?"
"You mean that music is a meditation piece?" Luke's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.
Luke had always regarded that music as a way to evoke positive emotions and dispel the negative emotional effects brought by Dark Arts.
Besides that, if he cast this music magic before casting the Patronus Charm, the Patronus Charm would become stronger.
He never expected that such a piece of music, which he considered an auxiliary, Gandalf would call a meditation piece.
Gandalf nodded: "There are many types of meditation methods. Some meditate through contemplation, some through prayer, some through chanting poetry and scriptures, some through walking... The piece Tom Bombadil taught you is a very effective way to meditate, you just never delved deeply into it."