Whether it was due to a mechanism failing or the complete absence of one, Fang Senyan proceeded without incident for several hundred meters. Ahead, another colossal stone gate loomed. Engraved upon it were grand and sweeping depictions of an ancient, epic war—vividly portraying the glory of the founding era and the melancholy of a conquered kingdom. At the very center of the massive door, the same mysterious, ancient Hebrew script was inscribed. If Phil were still alive, he would surely recognize its meaning: The Gate of Wisdom.

As Fang Senyan moved closer to examine the giant portal, his foot suddenly slipped, as if he had stepped on something unseen. He instantly became alert, only to realize the flagstone beneath him was now sliding at high speed, carrying him directly toward the massive gate! It felt like a conveyor belt; this sudden turn of events was completely outside his anticipation, and his senses had given no warning. Fang Senyan could only watch helplessly as he hurtled toward the gate. Just as he was about to crash into it, the massive door suddenly boomed open, rising upward. Dust and accumulated sand cascaded down, sweeping Fang Senyan inside.

Fang Senyan tumbled down from a height, quickly curling into a protective crouch. However, it seemed this was not a trap but merely a means of transportation to this location. When he stood up and surveyed his surroundings, he let out a profound sigh.

A deep, heartfelt sigh.

Beneath his feet lay a square expanse of white, easily thirty-three meters across. The white was bordered by black, creating a distinct, orderly pattern. Before him stood an array of gigantic white statues, ones that looked eerily familiar: the soldier statues he had encountered before, alongside the King, the Queen, the Bishop, and the Knight! They were all perfectly aligned, facing him!

At this moment, Fang Senyan was standing inside a colossal chessboard!

This was the final stage of the metallic digestive system— The Bloody... Demon Chess Trial!

Fang Senyan experimented and confirmed that the area was heavily saturated with arcane interference, preventing him from using any abilities. He attempted to step forward but was blocked by an invisible barrier right in the center of the board. The weapons held by the opposing pieces, presumably protected by demonic enchantments, gleamed with chilling light, speckled with dark, dried bloodstains. Looking down at the sides of the chessboard, Fang Senyan spotted piles of bleached bones.

It was clear: only by defeating the opponent across the board could one earn the right to proceed. What was even more terrifying was that Fang Senyan’s side was entirely devoid of pieces. This meant one had to use living bodies to occupy the positions of the chess pieces, gambling with human lives and flesh to play the game—those who reached this point must have endured immense hardship and possessed towering ambition. Yet, to win this game necessitated death, the abandonment of some as mere sacrifices!

Thus, this Demon Chess required one to duel not only the opposing sculptural constructs but also contend with the intelligence of the artificers who laid this trap millennia ago, and—most dauntingly—to battle the human heart of the companions who had struggled alongside him to reach this far!

Considering the ordeal ahead, Fang Senyan felt utterly uncertain; all he could manage was a bitter smile, and then another bitter smile. Yet, despair was not absolute. As the saying went, even the most meticulous plan has a flaw. The artisan who designed this mechanism probably never imagined that a monstrous anomaly could withstand the terrifying metallic storm generated by the key in the second stage. The arcane barrier here had been operational for a full five thousand years; if Fang Senyan could lure the horde of mad Demon Keys from the second stage here, their terrifying attack speed and destructive power, which ignored all defenses, might just shatter that barrier.

With this thought, Fang Senyan felt a surge of excitement. He turned back and began climbing toward the elevated area behind the chessboard, where a clearly marked passage denoted "Exit" could be seen. Perhaps the designer hadn't intended total slaughter, hoping intruders would recognize the difficulty and retreat. But as he reached the high platform and looked back, a thought struck him. Less than thirty meters behind the array of Demon Chess pieces, there was a small chamber. Inside, there was nothing but a simple stone pedestal, upon which rested a crudely tied, thick canvas money bag. Behind the bag seemed to be the main entrance used by the Goblins, occasionally emitting strange flickers of light.

Without a doubt! Based on the plot points from the film, this object’s characteristics strongly matched the Philosopher's Stone that Hagrid obtained. It must be the very stone they had struggled so hard to find. By this point, Fang Senyan was far enough from the chessboard that the arcane interference had dissipated. To confirm the nature of the stone, he decided to activate his "Insight" ability.

Due to the distance, his "Insight" repeatedly failed, succeeding only on the eighth attempt. But when the Nightmare Imprint notification finally appeared, he felt a wave of nausea so intense he almost vomited:

Philosopher's Stone Alias: The Sorcerer's Stone of Nicolas Flamel Item Rarity: Mid-Tier Legendary Main Plot Item Item Effect: ????? (Your Intelligence is insufficient to comprehend the secrets of the Philosopher's Stone) Item Requirement: Intelligence 40 or above. Item Trait: Untradeable upon acquisition. This item is a critical plot device in the Harry Potter magical world. You have not gained recognition and cannot carry it within this world. Description: I swear I will never tell you that Harry Potter was only able to resist its allure due to his young age.

"W-what the hell!" Fang Senyan’s vision dimmed, and he nearly erupted in curses: "A usage requirement of 40 Intelligence, or recognition to carry it within this world! Whose recognition? Most likely Dumbledore’s! So what's the use of me risking my life to get it? Even the path of gifting it to curry favor with a plot character is blocked! The Metal Mentor likely meets the usage requirement, but how can I manage that alone?"

Fang Senyan sighed loudly as he walked forward, still intending to lure those mad flying Demon Keys over. Even if he couldn't use the stone himself, he could hide it somewhere and worry about it the next time he entered this world. But just then, a massive sense of crisis washed over him from ahead! Fang Senyan inwardly cursed, tumbling out of the way just as a fierce gust of wind tore past. With a deafening boom, the stone wall before him exploded, showering the ground with debris. Through the dust and smoke charged a three-meter-tall white statue, lance leveled, its horse rearing—it was a Knight from the International Magic Chess set, charging at an indescribable speed.

Fortunately, his perception had warned him in advance, allowing Fang Senyan to narrowly evade the most lethal thrust of the lance! However, his calf was still trampled by the horse’s hooves, causing agonizing, heart-wrenching pain! Fang Senyan's vision went black. He had just been praising the artisan who built this exit passage for being benevolent and magnanimous enough not to seek total extermination, only to realize that this vengeful trap had been set precisely for this moment!

Fang Senyan seized the opportunity while the Knight maneuvered its horse to turn around, scrambling forward desperately, limping badly. But the sound of hooves behind him returned, dense and rhythmic, like the drumbeat of the Grim Reaper. The passage was straight, offering no place to hide! The Knight’s attack power was clearly terrifyingly high. Even with his current Stamina of 31, Fang Senyan dared not be arrogant. In desperation, he spotted the shattered opening the Knight had just created when it burst through the wall to his left. Casting caution aside, he lunged straight into it.

A rushing gust of wind immediately whistled past him as the Knight charged by again. Feeling the ground tremble slightly beneath his feet, Fang Senyan dared not slow down. Goosebumps erupted along his spine. Seeing that there seemed to be more space beyond the breach, he hammered at the opening a few times with his fists, creating a gap just large enough to squeeze through. But in his panic, he suddenly realized the leg he had extended was dangling in empty space. He couldn't help but lean his head down to look, and upon seeing the sight, he sucked in a sharp breath of cold air!

Below him was a chasm thousands of feet deep. Through the faint, diffused light cast by the surrounding rock, he could see that the corridor he occupied was a narrow, sealed, pipe-like arched bridge, soaring like a rainbow from the heavens, spanning a gulf of vast distances between two cliff edges! One of his feet was suspended in the endless void.

Just as Fang Senyan was about to turn and seek another path to survival, the ground began to rumble again! He spun around and saw the white statue Knight charging toward him again without mercy, lance thrust forward, galloping at a furious, high speed!

"You—" Fang Senyan's pupils contracted sharply. In this dire emergency, he only managed to shift his vital organs away from the direct path of impact. He was struck squarely by the charging Knight. The tip of the lance inevitably slammed into Fang Senyan's chest. The immense pain sent him into immediate unconsciousness. The wall behind him, incapable of withstanding such immense force, instantly disintegrated, shattering and splashing backward with a crash!

The fractured rock walls from the impact, Fang Senyan’s face contorted in pain, the blood he coughed up, the blank, expressionless visage of the Knight statue, and the deep darkness serving as the backdrop—all illuminated by that bizarre, rainbow-like stone passage—became unnervingly clear for a single, frozen moment before time snapped back to its normal, rapid flow.

With a tremendous crash, the demonic Knight, cold and relentless as a killing machine, along with the shattered masonry and the unconscious Fang Senyan, plunged into the bottomless abyss below!