After a long while, the elderly Priest Zhong Ye finally broke the silence. "Priest Huangzhi, the overall environment is deteriorating. The Ash Alliance has fractured from its original large brigade into scattered, small teams precisely because scarce resources lead to uneven distribution, which in turn causes infighting and casualties."
"If our two teams merged, there would be three priests present at once."
"If a dispute over resources turned the three of us against each other, it would defeat our original intent of mutual assistance."
"We are incredibly grateful that you yielded a portion of the base for us to rest, but as for a merger—let's forget it. If you find our presence inconvenient, we will leave the Northern Base as soon as we finish recording our information."
"Ah!" Priest Huangzhi hurriedly raised a hand to interrupt him. "It was just a thought, there's no need to be so tense. Even if we don't merge, you can continue staying here. The north is desolate and bitterly cold, and this is the only large-scale base still operating in the vicinity. How could I drive you away?"
His fingers tapped lightly against the tabletop, as if he were turning something over in his mind.
After a few pleasantries, Priest Huangzhi suddenly changed the subject. "I know resource shortages are a constant sore spot for every team in the alliance. Truthfully, my sudden urge to merge our groups stems from a resource I discovered recently. With just my own strength, I'd likely fail to secure it. I only proposed a collaboration after observing your character."
Hearing the mention of new resources, Li Ban and Zhong Ye exchanged a glance.
Priest Zhong Ye's gaze remained calm, and Li Ban completely lacked the intense hunger for resources that plagued other priests.
Priest Huangzhi chuckled. "Indeed. The Trash Realm isn't large and has been stripped mostly bare, while the territories controlled by Trash City are far too dangerous. However, the resource I'm talking about isn't found in either."
He pointed a finger straight up. "The resource I'm talking about lies in the spatial rifts that can appear at any moment."
"Small spatial rifts are impossible to predict, and while large ones come with warning signs, they also attract the attention of Trash City and the other alliances. If you want to join forces to fight over the resources dropped by a large rift," Priest Zhong Ye said, glancing at Li Ban, "we'll need some time to consider it."
Such a battle would fall almost entirely on Li Ban's shoulders.
Given Zhong Ye's physical condition, every time he used a spell, he burned away what little remained of his lifespan.
Thus, the decision to participate ultimately rested with Li Ban.
"That's not it either," Priest Huangzhi said, rejecting Zhong Ye's guess once more. "If we fought over a large rift, we'd have to relocate immediately to shake off anyone hunting us. We finally managed to settle down in the Northern Base, and I don't want to shatter that peace."
He stopped keeping them in suspense.
"I stumbled upon an item that can detect whether a small rift is opening nearby."
Silence fell over the laboratory.
Priest Huangzhi looked highly satisfied with the gleam that appeared in Zhong Ye's eyes. "We all know that the world on the other side of a small rift is likely on the verge of collapse, barely holding itself together. A world like that means massive amounts of potential resources. As long as we wait for a small rift that can hold for an hour, we can slip through to the other side and quickly sweep up everything!"
"Out of the question!"
Li Ban had been listening intently, only to be startled by Priest Zhong Ye's fierce refusal.
Priest Zhong Ye even threw an arm out in front of Li Ban, seemingly acting on instinct to protect him.
"Over the years, how many priests in the Trash Realm have charged into spatial rifts because their resources ran dry, and how many of them actually came back? Priest Huangzhi, as a Cloud-Hidden Priest, you shouldn't be ignorant of this."
"Of course I know, which is exactly why I sought you out for a partnership. You can guard the rift, Priest Zhong Ye, while Priest Ban and I venture inside. This way, we can maximize our exploration without getting lost on the other side."
But Priest Zhong Ye continued to shake his head.
Priest Huangzhi grew irritated. "Priest Zhong Ye, at least think of yourself! In your current state, if you don't absorb pure spiritual rhinoceros, how many years do you have left? One? Two?"
Priest Zhong Ye paled, yet he stood firm. "Everyone must die eventually. I have simply accepted my fate."
Losing his composure to anger, Priest Huangzhi pointed a finger at Li Ban. "You may have accepted your inevitable death, but are you going to force others to do the same? Are you going to make him burn through a long life just to protect a few dozen people? Priest Ban has clearly only just arrived in this world. Are you going to force him to accept the fate of dying from illness like an ordinary mortal a few decades from now?"
Priest Zhong Ye tried to sit up straighter, but his frail back merely swayed under the effort.
"Even so, we cannot recklessly enter a rift. Between a few decades of life and a few days, I know exactly which to choose!"
Seeing that the two were on the verge of a shouting match, Li Ban raised a hand and pressed it down in a calming gesture. "Gentlemen, please calm down."
Both priests looked at him simultaneously.
In the end, this collaboration hinged entirely on Li Ban's stance.
"I believe appropriate risks are necessary," Li Ban said first.
Priest Zhong Ye immediately frowned in worry, while Priest Huangzhi beamed with delight.
"I knew it! Priest Ban looks so young, how could you ever willingly accept such a fleeting life?"
Li Ban gave Zhong Ye a reassuring look before turning back to Huangzhi. "Which is why I said 'appropriate.' Priest Huangzhi, your life right now is relatively stable. I doubt you would gamble your own life on an illusory hope. If you have a trump card, please speak plainly. If I can't assess the risks, I won't participate in your plan."
Priest Huangzhi shook his head helplessly. "It seems Priest Zhong Ye's caution has rubbed off on you. Very well. The reason I didn't speak clearly before is that this item is far too important; word of it absolutely cannot leak out. Not even your most trusted confidants can know about this."
Li Ban nodded. "I have no problem with that."
Seeing Li Ban take the lead, Priest Zhong Ye thought for a moment before agreeing as well.
Priest Huangzhi glanced around the room. Wearing a grave expression, he retrieved an object from his Cubic Heaven and Earth.
It was a white stone, cracked into two halves.
Although a portion was missing, it was clear that if the two halves were pressed together, they would form a regular tetrahedron.
"A Realm-Breaking Stone?" Priest Zhong Ye's voice was barely a whisper.
Yet, from the way his eyes remained locked on the two pieces of stone, it was obvious just how precious the item was.
Li Ban had heard of Realm-Breaking Stones. They were an absolute necessity for traveling between the different small worlds within the Shattered Realm.
But this was his first time seeing a real one.
Even if it was broken.
"It is indeed a Realm-Breaking Stone." Priest Huangzhi waited for Zhong Ye to confirm its identity before immediately stowing it away again.
"A few days ago, an outsider priest passed through the Trash Realm. Right before he left, he was unexpectedly attacked by Trash City, which shattered his Realm-Breaking Stone. Since a shattered stone couldn't guide him to other small worlds, he discarded it. However, he didn't panic; he likely had a spare on him. After he walked far enough away, I immediately hurried over, snatched up the broken stone, and left."
Li Ban thought to himself, 'Could that outsider priest who passed through a few days ago have been Du An?'
"I've already examined the stone's condition; both fragments can still point back to the Trash Realm. Moreover, I made a surprising discovery: whenever a small rift appears within a one-kilometer radius, the stone emits a faint glow. This means we can track down small rifts with incredible speed. As long as the rift is relatively stable, we can go inside to explore without any fear of getting lost on the other side."
The worlds that spawned small rifts within the Trash Realm were all on the brink of collapse, meaning no priest would ever consider staying there to live. This meant Priest Zhong Ye didn't have to worry about them willingly leaving and never returning.
"But getting lost isn't the only risk when dealing with small rifts." Priest Zhong Ye still felt uneasy.
"True, the world on the other side might harbor unknown dangers. But we can observe from the rift's entrance first. We'll only head inside once we confirm that the risks are acceptable and that there are actually resources worth taking."
By the time Priest Huangzhi finished, his eyes were burning with fervor.
He looked at Li Ban, awaiting his answer.
Cupping his chin, Li Ban pondered for a moment before asking, "Does the Trash Realm often spawn rifts from other worlds?"
"That's right."
With all these small worlds on the verge of collapsing, could Wizard Embryo Fragments appear in them?
Yet, despite the frequent appearance of rifts over the years, the Trash Realm was still classified as a useless fringe world. There had to be some restriction on the types of items that could enter the Trash Realm, preventing anything truly valuable from falling through.
But if he went through a rift and entered another world, could he use the opportunity to search for valuable items, like Wizard Embryo Fragments?
The other priests in the Wizard World didn't resort to this because they possessed Realm-Breaking Stones.
It was a much safer way to travel between different worlds, eliminating any need to brave the dangers of traversing spatial rifts.
But the priests of the Trash Realm could only explore other worlds through these rifts.
Following that line of logic, as a fellow priest of the Wizard World, Li Ban didn't actually need to take such risks.
However, if the risks were manageable, he could certainly use this second body to hunt for more resources. After all, that was his very reason for wanting to explore the Shadow World in the first place.
No one spoke up to interrupt him as Li Ban lowered his head in thought.
'A shattered Realm-Breaking Stone can only point back to the Trash Realm; it can't offer any protection. What if I could bring a completely intact one, though?'
Reaching this thought, Li Ban looked up at Priest Huangzhi and said, "This matter is of grave importance, and I still need some time to consider it. Furthermore, my body is still recovering. Even if a suitable rift appeared, I likely wouldn't be able to venture inside with you. Rest assured, Priest Huangzhi, this also concerns whether we can mutually profit. Neither Priest Zhong Ye nor I will utter a word of this to a fourth person."
Priest Zhong Ye looked laden with worry, but he still nodded in agreement with Li Ban's statement.
Priest Huangzhi was visibly dissatisfied, but he swallowed his impatience. "Then I hope Priest Ban recovers quickly and thinks this through. If you take too long, I'll have no choice but to seek a partnership elsewhere."