Each relief seemed as new as if it had just been carved.
The statue representing Gryffindor depicted a majestic lion, its mane vividly resembling burning flames. The eyes of the statue were exceedingly bright, as if staring into the unknown challenges ahead, and the aura of bravery and fearlessness seemed ready to leap forth from the relief.
The statue corresponding to Slytherin was carved with a winding serpent. The scales of the snake were delicate and exquisite, shimmering with a cold luster in the dim light. The statue's eyes were like deep emeralds, exuding cunning and intelligence, as if secretly plotting something, vividly lifelike.
On the statue of Ravenclaw was an eagle ready to take flight. The eagle's feathers were distinct, as if gently fluttering in the wind. Its beak was sharp as a sword, and its gaze conveyed an endless thirst for knowledge and a keen insight into everything. The statue's posture was exactly like Lady Ravenclaw Ian had once seen.
The statue representing Hufflepuff was engraved with a gentle badger. The badger looked endearing yet exuded a tenacious quality. Its claws firmly grasped the ground, as if guarding something, and its gentle and steadfast demeanor perfectly matched the smiling expression on the statue's face.
"So, is this a shared Secret Chamber by the four founders, or was it built for some specific purpose?" Ian stepped in front of the statue engraved with the Ravenclaw emblem. Once again, he saw Lady Ravenclaw's notes, still positioned on the ground in front of the statue, seemingly made of gold.
[Piertotum Locomotor]
Ian softly recited the shining words on the ground, and his magic wand trembled slightly, as if some bond had been broken, then burst into a brilliant light.
Magic Power was boiling.
"Damn!"
Ian, who had been holding the magic wand, realized the problem. He quickly looked at his personal panel, and as expected, a brand new magic appeared on his personal panel.
"Rumble!! Rumble!!!"
Before Ian could think about how to explain this to Snape, the Underground Palace began to shake violently. The spell, once uttered, was like a horn awakening a sleeping beast. In a flash, the syllables of the spell rippled through the Underground Palace, awakening ancient powers dormant within the walls.
At first, there was only a slight tremor coming from the walls, with fine stone dust gently falling like a soft stone rain. Soon after, the statue representing Hufflepuff, engraved with a badger, began to emit a dull rumbling sound, its massive body gradually awakening from a millennium-long slumber.
Mysterious runes at the base of the statue, where it was connected to the wall, gleamed with golden light like flowing rays. The light spread along the contours of the statue, as if bestowing it with the veins of life. As the light circulated, the statue slowly lifted its heavy feet, detaching from the wall!
The movements of the statue were calm and steady, like a faithful guardian fulfilling its mission. The badger in the relief seemed infused with the liveliness of life, its eyes sparkling with gentle yet determined light, and its previously endearing appearance now carried a touch of solemn dignity.
"Rumble~"
With each step of the ten-meter-high statue, the ground trembled slightly, but the bones of the Giant Dragon remained tall and unmoving. Ian felt as if an earthquake was making it hard to stand.
"Is this the Founders' Legacy for the castle's defense?"
Ian was reminded of the first time he watched Ultraman Tiga. He looked up in awe at the towering statue, whose powerful magic fluctuations left him speechless.
In the unseen realm.
He sensed a connection with the statue. Of course, this connection could not transform Ian into light entering the statue's interior, becoming an instant gigantic ancient giant painted in color.
"Raise your hand?"
Ian tried issuing commands, and sure enough, the statue lifted its hand according to his thoughts, the golden light flowing around it seemingly capable of gathering into some magical attack.
However, Ian dared not attempt this deep underground. If he accidentally collapsed the Underground Palace and got buried here, not knowing Apparition would mean he'd join his friends in the Misty Illusion Realm.
"If this is truly the Founders' Legacy, there should be a way to transfer them out, right?" Before Ian could figure out how to move the massive Hufflepuff statue.
"Rumble!"
Another violent tremor and sound emerged.
Only to see,
The serpent-shaped statue representing Slytherin also seemed to awaken. The serpent upon it looked as if endowed with a soul, its winding body twisting on the statue, and the icy stone eyes glowed with an eerie green light. The statue detached from the wall, its entire form leaning forward, like a long-plotting schemer finally seizing the moment to act.
As it moved, the serpent's body rubbing against the ground produced a hissing sound, as if whispering ancient Slytherin secrets, which appeared especially eerie in the silent Underground Palace.
Making one shiver.
The aura emitted by these two statues was drastically different, revealing the area behind them once they stood up—behind each of the statues was actually a stone passageway.
"Hmm!?"
Ian was not the only one astonished.
Snape, far above an unknown number of meters, was also surprised.