"In addition to requiring specific astrological alignments and rituals, the creation of the Philosopher's Stone also needs several essential components," Elrond explained to Luke in Rivendell's Hall of Fire.
"I've more or less understood the meaning of the runic diagrams on the blueprint. According to their explanation, the Philosopher's Stone requires the Three Prime Essences and the Four Elements. These conditions are indispensable—without them, the stone cannot be completed."
"What are the Three Prime Essences and Four Elements?" Luke asked.
"The Three Prime Essences are the Salt of the Body, the Mercury of the Spirit, and the Sulfur of the Soul; the Four Elements are water, fire, wind, and earth."
As Elrond explained, his expression held a trace of admiration. "I do not know which wise being created such a miraculous Philosopher's Stone, but it is clear that its creator was not merely seeking immortality. They sought to use it as a medium to perceive and comprehend the mysteries of the universe, to achieve unity of the mind, and to attain the ultimate transcendence of the soul.
"As for immortality—that is merely an extension of the stone, almost like a byproduct."
Luke was taken aback by Elrond's words. Wasn't the Philosopher's Stone simply about granting immortality and turning lead into gold? How could there be such a deeper meaning?
Still puzzled, Luke recounted Nicolas Flamel's situation to Elrond.
After thinking for a moment, Elrond shook his head. "I believe the stone this person made is not a true Philosopher's Stone, but rather a half-finished one. The process of creating the stone is itself a form of cultivation, requiring the maker to achieve unity of spirit, soul, and matter. At the instant the stone is completed, they must reach a state of 'union of the mind.' Only then will the Philosopher's Stone be flawless.
"But from what you've said, this person had not yet perfected their mind when the stone was made, so it could not have been perfect."
Such an explanation left Luke astonished, followed quickly by worry. If Flamel, after living so long, still hadn't achieved perfect mental unity, how could he expect to make a flawless stone?
"Well, even a half-finished Philosopher's Stone wouldn't be bad," Luke mused. "At worst, I could extend my lifespan for now, and once I achieve perfect mental unity, I can try again."
Still curious, he asked, "Lord Elrond, I understand the Four Elements, but what about the Salt of the Body, the Mercury of the Spirit, and the Sulfur of the Soul—what do those mean?"
Elrond replied, "The Three Prime Essences are not ordinary materials like salt, quicksilver, or sulphur. They are the unified products of body, spirit, and soul with the material reality."
Luke half-understood and asked, "And where can these three substances be found?"
Elrond nodded. "The Mercury of the Spirit represents the fluidity of thought. On the western coastline lies the Mithlond, the starting point for the elves' journey westward. It carries the elves' longing for and farewell to Middle-earth, steeped in the weight of time and countless unspoken memories.
"If you wish to find the Mercury of the Spirit, you can gather it there. I believe the lord of the Mithlond will aid you. This is also the easiest of the Three Prime Essences for you to obtain."
He continued: "Next is the Sulfur of the Soul, representing the fire of the soul. It can only exist in places where souls gather. In all of Arda, aside from the Halls of Mandos, the resting place of souls, there are certain places where spirits who refuse Mandos's summons linger.
"For example, at the beneath the White Mountains run the Paths of the Dead, haunted by the Oathbreakers — the cursed Men of the Mountains who once swore their allegiance to Isildur upon the Stone of Erech. They once broke their oath to Isildur, and he cursed them to never know rest. Their souls remain bound there even in death."
"If you wish to find the Sulfur of the Soul, you must go there. But the dead there reject the living, even I dare not venture lightly into their domain. If you do go, you must be prepared in both body and mind."
Luke nodded. Of course, he had heard of the Paths of the Dead. Back in the Second Age, when Gondor was newly founded, Isildur had made the Men of the White Mountains swear loyalty on the Black Stone: if Gondor ever faced a great crisis, they must fight alongside them. But when Sauron attacked, these mountain folk, out of fear, broke their oath.
In fury, Isildur cursed them to never rest until the oath was fulfilled. Thus, their souls lingered there, guarding the Paths of the Dead and barring any living intruders. Even Baldor, eldest son of Rohan's second king, swore to enter the Paths, and never returned, dying within. It was not until the War of the Ring that Aragorn, following Elrond's counsel, went there with the reforged sword Narsil, summoning the dead to fight for him as Isildur's heir.
"And where can I find the Salt of the Body?" Luke asked, noting that Elrond had left it for last, perhaps meaning it was the hardest to obtain.
Elrond replied, "The Salt of the Body represents stability and life force. It can most likely be found only at the place of life's first birth.
"The birthplace of the Elves, Cuiviénen, sank beneath the waves in the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age. The birthplace of the Dwarves is known only to their creator, the Vala Aulë; thereafter, they were placed in various mountain ranges to sleep until the Elves awoke.
"That leaves only the birthplace of Men, Hildórien, as the most likely place to find it."
But as he said this, Elrond's expression grew solemn. "Hildórien lies in the far east. I do not know its precise location, it may have been long forgotten in human history. But it is within the region under Sauron's control.
"If you go searching for it, you'll be on your own. And be wary, after you've foiled his plans multiple times, Sauron surely hates you deeply. One mistake could see you lost forever."
Luke nodded seriously, deeply grateful. "I understand. Thank you, Lord Elrond! Without your guidance, my understanding of the Philosopher's Stone would have come far more slowly. Truly, the wisdom of an elder is a treasure beyond price."
If he had been left to figure this out alone, it might have taken him until the end of days to piece it together. Luckily, Elrond had no idea what Luke was thinking, otherwise, he might have taught him a lesson in respecting elders.
Though Elrond had shared detailed knowledge of the Three Prime Essences, he sighed and said, "To be honest, I would advise you to wait until Lady Galadriel has purified the Balrog's Heart. Then you could forge the pheonix from its eternal fire, granting yourself immortality.
"Listen well, this business of forging the Philosopher's Stone is riddled with dangers you can hardly imagine. Those cursed Paths of the Dead and the wild lands to the far east are no place for the reckless. One wrong move, and you'll bring nothing but ruin upon yourself. I'd hate to see Arwen suffer for your foolishness."
Hearing the weight in Elrond's voice, Luke looked up, his own expression serious. "Lord Elrond, I promise you, I will never allow myself to fall into such danger, nor give Arwen reason for sorrow."
Seeing Luke's earnest promise, Elrond nodded, a faint smile appearing. "I am willing to believe you."
They then discussed the Four Elements in more detail.
"As for the Four Elements, water, fire, and wind are easy enough, Lady Galadriel's Water Ring, Nenya; Gandalf's Fire Ring, Narya; and my own Air Ring, Vilya, can all be used to gather them."
Elrond lifted his hand, showing a sapphire-gold ring upon his long finger. Countless wind elements gathered to it, forming a small storm that swirled in his palm.
"The only one you must find yourself is the earth element."
"Earth element? How should I search for that?" Luke frowned. Why hadn't Celebrimbor forged an Earth Ring alongside the other three? That would have made things much simpler.
Elrond shook his head. "I cannot say for sure. All I can tell you is that it must be a treasure born of the earth itself, extraordinary in nature."
"Born of the earth? Would mithril count?" Luke produced the Mother of Mithril for Elrond to see.
Elrond was surprised but shook his head. "I did not expect you to possess such a treasure, but alas, it was formed from the mingling of divine and demonic powers in a special environment, not purely born of the earth."
"What about this?" Luke brought out another object.
Seeing the white-glowing gem in his hand, Elrond's surprise deepened. "The Arkenstone?"
Luke nodded. "Yes. Also called the Heart of the Mountain, born from the heart of the mountain itself. Shouldn't it count?"
Without asking how Luke had come by this symbol of Durin's royal line, Elrond took the gem and examined it closely. Then he smiled warmly. "It seems fate favors you, Luke. This Heart of the Mountain contains the essence of the earth. You now have all four elements you need."
Receiving this confirmation, Luke was delighted. Back when Thorin's madness took hold, he had taken the Arkenstone early and kept it ever since, never expecting it would one day complete his set of elements.
"What do you plan to do next?" Elrond asked.
"From easy to hard, I'll first go to the Mithlond to seek the Mercury of the Spirit. Then I'll head south to the White Mountains and the Paths of the Dead. Finally, I'll journey to the far east in search of Hildórien."
Elrond nodded. "If you go to Mithlond, visit its lord, Círdan. He is the eldest and wisest of our people, and a member of the White Council. If you face troubles you cannot solve, seek his guidance, I believe he will gladly help you."