The only problem was that after so much effort, the results were far from ideal.
This troubled Lucius greatly.
To address this, Erwin had even used the Cavendish family's connections to arrange thorough medical examinations for the two.
The test results left Lucius feeling uneasy.
He had been catching up on his studies recently.
The anxieties of middle age were unavoidable.
The night passed quickly.
Amidst everyone's anticipation, the sun rose as usual, its rays spilling onto the ground.
This meant the third stage of the Triwizard Tournament had officially begun.
At 8:00 AM sharp, in the camp, fireworks suddenly soared into the sky, exploding in mid-air.
The final stage had commenced.
The moment the fireworks exploded, the four houses rushed into the Changbai Mountains without hesitation.
Simultaneously, live broadcasts began worldwide. The Daily Prophet, The Quibbler, and other newspapers across the wizarding world launched simultaneous coverage.
In terms of anticipation, the final battle far surpassed the previous events, as it would decide the ownership of the Goblet of Fire.
The Changbai Mountains were one of the major mountain ranges, extremely vast. Multiple rivers originated here. It was among the highest mountain ranges, with a total area of 1,964 square kilometers and a core area of 758 square kilometers.
Such a vast area naturally couldn't serve as the entire venue. Erwin chose a portion of it: the broader Changbai Mountains, specifically the main ridge within the region.
Even this selected area was considerable, which was why the third stage took so long.
The four houses had worked hard the previous night. The Cavendish family provided maps, giving them the freedom to choose which area to enter.
The exchange students were familiar with the Changbai Mountains, especially the broader area where they were currently located. This was a significant magical site, and they frequently visited to study its properties.
However, this familiarity bred puzzlement. They had visited often and never seen any stone pillars.
Everyone suspected Erwin had orchestrated this specifically for the challenge. They chose to enter from the east, their most familiar territory. Beauxbatons chose the south, Hogwarts the north, and Durmstrang the west. Coincidentally, the four houses took different paths, meaning they wouldn't meet immediately.
Just after they entered the Changbai Mountains, no one noticed nine Cavendish family teams secretly infiltrating the area. They carried maps and moved purposefully into the depths of the mountains without wasting time.
Not long after, the first team stopped in an open space. The leader pulled a map from his pocket.
"According to the map, this is it. Let's begin."
The team members nodded. They took large containers from their bags, each enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm. They overturned the containers, and crimson liquid flowed out, filling the air with a pungent stench of blood.
"Captain," one member said, "it seems to have congealed a bit. Will this affect the Master's plans? We collected the blood a little too early."
The leader replied, "No, the Master said that as long as it's wizard blood, it's fine. It'll be okay within a day. Otherwise, do you think we're really doing this casually?"
As the blood poured onto the ground, it caused no visible change. The blood seeped directly into the soil as if vanishing.
After the nine containers were emptied, the Cavendish family members retreated.
A moment later, the ground began to tremble slightly. Then, a stone pillar suddenly rose from the earth. The pillar was carved with dragon-shaped patterns, the stone as black as ink. Embedded in the dragon's body was a ten-pronged nail, looking strangely incongruous.
The Cavendish family members watched the pillar rise. The leader said, "Alright, our mission is complete. Let's leave quickly. Now it's the contestants' turn."
A member asked doubtfully, "Captain, why did the Master make those students complete the final step? We could have done it too."
The squad leader said, "I don't know, but I think the Master mentioned that the final step has many requirements. Probably because we didn't meet them. Don't worry about that. As long as our mission is complete, the Master has his own plans. We just need to do our work."
Everyone nodded. Then, a vortex appeared, engulfing them.
The other squads were doing the same. Nine dragon-carved stone pillars appeared simultaneously. Their designs were almost identical, the only difference being the position of the nails on the dragons. They were all on the dragons but staggered.
At the same moment the stone pillars appeared, at a secure magical location, in a monitoring room at the very center, a massive projection sat. On it, mountains and rivers materialized—the map of the region.
The magical leadership was monitoring after recent preparations. They had been coordinating security after the influx of visitors. However, at that moment, on the massive projection, a golden light suddenly shone.
A leader's expression changed. He quickly stood up and approached the projection. Looking down, his face instantly shifted.
"The Dragon-Locking Pillar!"
He hurriedly turned to leave the room. However, just as he opened the door, a black cat lay prostrate in the doorway, a letter dangling from its mouth.
The leader's heart skipped a beat. The black cat was Ebony. Ebony placed the letter on the ground, then pointed at it with a paw.
The leader frowned, picked up the letter, tore it open, and glanced at it. His expression instantly turned grim.
Ebony meowed, then turned and strode away.
The leader clenched his fist, then relaxed it. He sighed. He gestured toward the communication system, and instantly, a magical signal appeared in the air. The next second, a group of officials appeared.
"Issue my order," the leader said. "We are about to face a significant challenge."