"Yes." Hearing Chu Zhan and the others' decision regarding Li Yuan, Priest Zhu Yao gave a casual nod, not looking particularly concerned.
"This incident isn't just Li Yuan's problem. People from his army and the Six Ministries all had a hand in it. That's why I came over."
Chu Zhan nodded. "Indeed. Perhaps they've just had too much idle time lately. If another Nihility State were to appear, they would behave themselves."
Zhu Yao paused with her water cup raised to her lips. She looked up at Chu Zhan, and it vaguely seemed as though she had rolled her eyes at him.
Chu Zhan stroked his beard and immediately changed his tune. "Haha, of course, if another Nihility State appeared, we would be the ones with the biggest headache."
He looked at Li Ban. "And this must be our young friend, Li Ban."
Li Ban raised his cup, substituting water for wine, and toasted respectfully, "Senior Chu Zhan."
Priest Chu Zhan put on no airs. He picked up his white porcelain cup and clinked it against Li Ban's.
"It really is better to be a roaming priest like you," he said. "To think you managed to stumble upon a newly born priest while out on the road."
Priest Zhu Yao said mildly, "Yes, their aptitudes are quite good. At the very least, they can both unlock their stars."
A naked display of bragging.
Priest Chu Zhan pursed his lips but nodded in acknowledgment anyway. "As long as there is new blood, it's a good thing."
The conversation seemed to drift into heavier territory.
Zhu Yao softly introduced a new topic. "Now that I've delivered Li Yuan, I need to return to the Nine Heavens Sea. On the way back, I'll see if I can catch Xiao Suo. After the robing ceremony, I'll leave Li Ban in your care. Open the Self-Seeking Mirror so he can begin his mind cultivation journey."
Chu Zhan agreed without hesitation, even adding jokingly, "Alright, I'd even be willing to conduct his robing ceremony myself!"
Zhu Yao's hand paused as she held her cup. Her eyelids fluttered up slightly before settling back down.
Li Ban suspected she had just aborted an eye-roll.
Amidst the solemn and silent procession, the three of them sipped sweet, clear water, leisurely making their way into the Imperial Palace.
Bypassing the tedious ceremonies entirely, Priest Chu Zhan led them straight to the Heavenly Pavilion.
The Heavenly Pavilion was situated behind and above Zichen Hall, where the Imperial Palace conducted ancestral worship.
True to its name, it was a palace suspended in the sky.
After Priest Zhu Yao brought him here, Li Ban stood on the terrace, leaning against the railing as he watched the people coming and going below.
Judging from their eyes, it was obvious they could neither see the priests nor the palace itself.
'No wonder Du An said that, given my situation back then, it was impossible for me to ever meet a priest or a Great Wizard,' Li Ban thought. 'If I hadn't obtained that Wizard Embryo Fragment, even if a priest walked right past me, I would be just like the rest of them—completely oblivious to their existence.'
Priests Zhu Yao and Chu Zhan had gone to deal with Li Yuan's situation.
Since Li Ban hadn't officially joined the Myriad Ancient Pagoda yet, Priest Zhu Yao advised against him coming along.
Handling Li Yuan didn't take much time. It wasn't long before the two priests returned together.
"Let's go, Li Ban. We're taking you to meet a few people."
They left the Heavenly Pavilion, and after a few flickers of teleportation, they arrived inside a majestic, magnificent palace.
Judging by their direction of travel, they were likely in one of the palaces along the central axis.
Numerous guards were stationed outside the palace, many of whom were spirit practitioners.
Following the two priests, Li Ban walked into the place as if they were entirely alone.
Two court ladies stood waiting within the inner hall.
The two priests went no further; instead, they revealed their figures right there in the inner hall.
The court ladies showed no surprise at the sudden appearance of the priests. One of them, dressed slightly more ornately, stepped forward and offered a deep bow to the trio.
"Lords Priest, do you require this servant to notify the Realm Emperor?"
"Go ahead," Chu Zhan, a priest of the Imperial Dynasty Faction, said with a raise of his hand.
The court lady rose and hurried inside to deliver the message.
A moment later, Li Ban saw an old man in a magnificent bright yellow robe walk out, accompanied by a handsome young man in a sapphire-blue brocade robe.
The Wizard World didn't subscribe to the concept of a 'True Dragon Son of Heaven.' As a result, the emperor's robes bore no five-clawed golden dragons, featuring instead more intricate medallion patterns and myriad beasts.
'This must be the ruler supported by the Great Wizards of the Imperial Dynasty Faction—the Realm Emperor. The emperor of the Wizard World... Yeah, that should be what it means.'
Since neither Priest Zhu Yao nor Priest Chu Zhan bowed when they saw the Realm Emperor, Li Ban naturally remained motionless behind them as well.
Instead, it was the Realm Emperor who cupped his hands and raised them to his forehead toward the trio.
Though he didn't bow his waist, for a man of the emperor's status, this was already an incredibly solemn gesture of respect.
When the Realm Emperor and the young man behind him lowered their hands, Li Ban noticed that the emperor was far from young.
Even though the Realm Emperor was a 9th-Tier spirit practitioner, his lifespan would only be a little over two hundred years.
Word was that this Realm Emperor had sat on the throne for over a century. No matter how one looked at it, he was an old man nearing the end of his days.
After sizing up the Realm Emperor, Li Ban's gaze finally landed on the young man behind him.
Upon seeing the man, Li Ban raised his eyebrows and gave a slight nod.
Compared to Li Ban's calm reaction, the brocade-clad young man utterly failed to suppress his shock. His jaw dropped wide open.
This brocade-clad youth was none other than Zhai Liu, whom Li Ban hadn't seen in a long time.
Zhai Liu's astonished expression caught the attention of both Zhu Yao and Chu Zhan.
Realizing he was being stared at by two priests, he hastily reined in his shock, lowered his head, and fell silent.
At the same time, he felt a flash of annoyance at himself for his loss of composure.
The Realm Emperor had also noticed Li Ban standing behind the two priests, and he sensed Zhai Liu's shock. Though slightly confused, he maintained his dignified composure and didn't pry.
"Is there something you require, Lords Priest?"
Priest Chu Zhan's gaze remained fixed on Zhai Liu. Expressionless, he asked, "Is this the Crown Prince you've chosen?"
Li Ban noticed Zhai Liu visibly tense up.
Clearly, the position of Crown Prince wasn't something the Realm Emperor could decide entirely on his own.
If Priest Chu Zhan disapproved, it was highly likely the Realm Emperor would change his mind.
"Yes, Priest Zhan. The Grand Prince, Li Yuan, committed a grave mistake and is no longer qualified for ascension. The Ninth Princess, Li Yan, suffered severe injuries and is similarly unable to ascend. Among my remaining children, the only one capable of inheriting the title of Crown Prince is the Sixth Prince, Li Zhai."
The Realm Emperor turned and grasped Li Zhai's hand, seemingly to offer him reassurance.
"Zhai'er was previously afflicted with gu poison, but after years of recuperation, he has finally restored his health. Furthermore, his innate resilience is exceptional, and his will is unyielding. He is the most suitable candidate for the Crown Prince position."
Li Zhai looked up at the Realm Emperor, his face brimming with gratitude and deep affection.
Watching from across the room, Li Ban felt a wave of intense awkwardness.
The Zhai Liu he knew was always thirty percent chatterbox and seventy percent sheer lunacy.
Now, the guy was acting like an obedient darling who revered his father. God only knew how much of it was genuine.
Regardless, Li Ban wasn't in a position to meddle in the father-son dynamics of the Imperial Dynasty. He was more concerned about something else.
"Yan Jiu is back too?"
His sudden question instantly drew the Realm Emperor's attention, giving the emperor a natural opening to inquire.
"And this is...?"
"Li Ban," Priest Zhu Yao answered. "A priest of the Myriad Ancient Pagoda faction."
Zhai Liu, who had kept his head lowered, widened his eyes all over again.
This time, though he managed to restrain himself from looking up, his eyes bulged so wide they looked like they might pop right out of their sockets.
This time, even the unfailingly composed Realm Emperor wore a look of shock.
"A new Lord Priest? Then my sincerest congratulations, Priest Yao."
He couldn't help but shoot Li Ban a look, and then another, his eyes swimming with endless emotions.
Since Li Ban was a priest, his earlier question could not be ignored.
The Realm Emperor answered proactively, "Li Yan returned three days ago. However, she was injured—the beast blood in her body was drained by someone, and her cultivation base is all but ruined."
The Realm Emperor paused, appearing deeply grieved for his daughter. "But at least she made it back alive. Are you acquainted with Yan'er, Priest Ban?"
Li Ban nodded. "We've met a few times indeed, it's just..."
He glanced at Zhu Yao. She gave a small nod, granting him permission to tell the Realm Emperor about Yan Jiu's situation.
"...it's just that the last time I saw her, she was being abducted by a black-robed priest."
"A black-robed priest?" The Realm Emperor's expression twisted in shock and sorrow. "No wonder. No wonder..."
Zhu Yao spoke up. "Li Yan was taken by Black Robe, yet she managed to return alive. Has the Realm Emperor investigated her condition?"
"When Yan'er returned and realized her cultivation was gone and her body ruined for future cultivation, she didn't speak, eat, or drink. She immediately fell deathly ill. For the past two days, she has been receiving medical treatment at her second brother's estate. I only just learned that Black Robe was the one who harmed her."
Yan Jiu's second brother? Didn't that mean the Second Prince?
Li Ban found this strange.
Earlier, when discussing the candidates for Crown Prince, the Realm Emperor had ruled out the Grand Prince and the Ninth Princess, but he had never even mentioned this Second Prince.
It seemed there were plenty of twists and turns behind the scenes.
"Do you wish to see Yan'er now, Priest Yao? I can have someone bring her over."
"There's no need for that." Priest Zhu Yao wasn't in any rush.
After all... she was already ruined.
As long as the Realm Emperor knew Li Yan had been abducted by Black Robe, he would naturally investigate her to ensure the black-robed priest hadn't left behind any hidden tricks on her person.
Besides, the affairs of the Imperial Dynasty were better left for Priest Chu Zhan to worry about.
Sure enough, Chu Zhan seamlessly took over the conversation. "Priest Ban and I will go take a look at her later."
He turned to Li Ban. "You witnessed Li Yan being taken by the black-robed priest; you can check if there are any other unusual details we should be aware of."
Li Ban nodded. He was also quite curious about what exactly had happened to Yan Jiu.
Chu Zhan and Zhu Yao had only brought Li Ban here to officially introduce him to the Realm Emperor and the others. Now that the formalities were out of the way, they had no desire to linger and waste time.
Thus, they bid their farewells to the Realm Emperor and headed out.
Li Ban noticed that the two priests treated the Realm Emperor differently than they treated anyone else.
They didn't just teleport away right in front of him; instead, they made a point of walking out of the inner hall first.
This seemed to be a form of acknowledgment of the Realm Emperor's special status.
As they were leaving, Li Ban glanced back over his shoulder.
The Realm Emperor's expression remained perfectly composed as he nodded in farewell.
But the future Crown Prince, Li Zhai, had raised his head, his face still etched with shock and a hint of listlessness.
Li Ban flashed Li Zhai a smile before turning around and walking out of the inner hall.
Stepping into the outer hall, he glanced through the open doors and windows and saw what looked like a large crowd of officials waiting outside.
Judging by their official robes and hats, they were far more imposing than Lord Du had been back in the day. It was obvious at a glance that their ranks were quite high.
However, Priests Zhu Yao and Chu Zhan had no intention of greeting them. They simply teleported away from the outer hall.
With a few more flickers, they returned to the Heavenly Pavilion.
Once back in the pavilion, safely away from outsiders, the two priests seemed to shed their worldly shackles, becoming a bit more vibrant.
Priest Chu Zhan, in particular, was practically overflowing with impatience as he dragged Li Ban into a side hall.
"Come, come, come, Li Ban. Let me show you something good."