Not long after, Sunny Finch led Erwin toward the Kunlun Mountains.
Erwin stared at the endless, rugged peaks, a frown creasing his brow. Where was the school? There was nothing here but rock and sky.
Sunny reached into her robes and produced a small, square tablet. Her fingers danced across its surface. Suddenly, the clouds above the mountains began to drift apart.
Erwin gasped. A massive structure, previously shrouded in mist, materialized before his eyes. He was certain it hadn't been there a second ago.
"This functions much like your Western Muggle-Repelling Charm," Sunny explained, "but in the East, we call it a 'formation array.' Only someone holding a matching array plate can see it. It's undetectable to Muggles and even other magical beings."
Erwin's eyes widened. Magic formations.
The legends were true. This was incredibly useful, and he had to admit, he was envious.
Sunny led him straight through the newly revealed gates. Erwin hesitated.
"You just... let strangers walk in?" he asked warily. "Aren't you afraid of bad intentions?"
Sunny laughed lightly. "Kunlun does not turn visitors away. But," she glanced up at the sky, "if anyone tries to cause trouble..."
Erwin followed her gaze. High above, amidst the clouds, he saw flashes of lightning and the glint of conjured weapons colliding.
"That is the foundation of Kunlun," she said.
Erwin understood immediately. No wonder they were so confident. Even from a distance, the raw power of those defensive wards radiated immense pressure. Such layered protections would challenge even the greatest wizards.
"Is it all just one massive array?" Erwin asked.
"Indeed! Amazing, isn't it?"
Erwin nodded, wisely deciding not to pry further. He knew Sunny wouldn't reveal the secrets of their defenses. The fact she had brought him this far already meant Kunlun didn't see him as a threat.
High in the clouds, several elderly wizards watched them.
"That's the boy! Handsome lad."
"Good looks and decent power. But how will he fare in a real fight?"
"Don't worry, Finch will likely challenge him to a spar. We'll see his true strength then."
"Wizards focused solely on wands are often physically vulnerable. One slip, and her hammers will end it."
"He is one of the 'chosen ones.' He can't be that weak. But what do we do now? Finch brought him in."
"Standard procedure says we bring him in. It complicates our plans slightly, but it's manageable."
"By the way, any word from Headmaster Dumbledore?"
As the elder spoke, a talisman shot toward him like a bullet. He waved his sleeve, erecting a shimmering barrier.
BOOM.
The elder curled his lip. "Still so petty."
The others chuckled.
Erwin heard the explosion from the sky and looked up curiously.
"Never mind them," Sunny said dismissively. "Just the elders causing a fuss. I'll take you to the Disciplinary Office first. We need to verify your story. Someone will be sent to Britain to confirm your identity. In the meantime, you'll be staying at Kunlun. If you can get someone to send verification documents faster, we can speed things up."
"I can contact my family," Erwin said. "I'll have someone at Hogwarts get a certificate."
Sunny nodded, not asking for details.
They arrived at the Disciplinary Office. The process was straightforward: registration, a statement of purpose, and the wait for identification. Erwin repeated his cover story—caught in a waterspout off the coast of Bermuda, drifting to the East.
It wasn't a lie, technically.
The officials seemed satisfied; they had already heard reports of massive waterspouts in that area.
Kunlun arranged a guest room for Erwin to rest. He used the time to contact Old Tom, instructing him to have his godfather gather the necessary identification and come to the East. Erwin also hinted that his godfather should look into potential business opportunities there.
However, if Wizarding Glory was to succeed in the East, it needed local flair. They couldn't just use standard spells. The East had its own combat system, and Erwin needed to understand it.
Fortunately, he had a teacher right here.
"Miss Sun," Erwin called out.
"Call me Sunny," she corrected him cheerfully.
"Sunny," Erwin said, "Could you tell me about the cultivation system in East? How do you fight? Obviously, only share what isn't a secret."
"There are no secrets!" Sunny waved her hand. "Even if I told you, you couldn't learn it without the proper foundation. The Eastern path relies on three main disciplines: Talismans, Spellwork, and physical cultivation. We also use formations, but those are rarely used in actual combat because they take too long to set up."
She paused, her expression darkening slightly. "Though... much ancient knowledge has been lost over the centuries."
The loss of heritage weighed on her. Erwin stayed silent, understanding the weight of lost traditions. After a moment, Sunny shook off the gloom.
"Actually, if you're curious, why don't I show you? Then you'll understand."
Erwin hesitated. "Is that acceptable? Would it cause any trouble?"
Sunny laughed. "Kunlun used to guard its secrets jealously, but those days are long gone. We welcome outsiders to learn, provided they have the aptitude. Western wizards usually lack the foundation for it, but watching won't hurt."
...
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