After checking Li Ban's progress with his current spells, Priest Jun was finally ready to teach him new ones.
"I know six spells suitable for you. I can teach you two without requiring any merit," Priest Jun said.
Priest Jun went on to explain the six spells.
Li Ban ruled out the Flight Technique and the Spirit Stabilization Technique, both of which he had heard of before. After asking about the others, he chose the Spirit Attachment Art and the Rending Technique.
The Spirit Attachment Art overlapped with one of Du An's abilities.
This spell could attach fragment power to the elements Li Ban had fused with, drastically increasing their capabilities.
It was a perfect fit for him.
Du An had likely chosen it because his own elemental abilities were already quite powerful.
Li Ban, on the other hand, chose it simply because he had fused with so many elements.
If he mastered it, he wouldn't be completely overwhelmed if he ever faced the black-robed Xiao Suo again.
A single Blazing Flame Art could at least scorch Xiao Suo's skin.
His reason for learning the Rending Technique was even simpler.
He needed an offensive spell capable of inflicting rapid damage.
Whether he was facing Du An or encountering the Black Robe while traveling through the Shattered Realm in the future, he needed a means of quick attack.
Priest Jun wasn't surprised by the choice of the Spirit Attachment Art, but he paused at the Rending Technique. "Do you... have an enemy you're trying to deal with?"
"Ah, I just thought it would let me kill enemies faster when I go to the Shattered Realm later. I lack the ability to launch quick attacks."
"Fair enough. The Rending Technique isn't difficult; it only requires thirty-three intent changes. The Spirit Attachment Art, however, requires sixty-three intent changes and will take longer to grasp. You can practice the Rending Technique here in the Unreturning Place. We certainly don't lack practice targets."
"Priest Jun, I heard there might be black-robed priests in the rifts of the Shattered Realm. Is there a high chance of us running into them?"
"Oh, you ran into Xiao Suo, didn't you? Honestly, that's also a trial for a white-robed priest. If you want to keep growing stronger and advance, you can't just stay in a place of comfort. However, black-robed priests usually hide in the worlds bordering the edge of the Shattered Realm. You've only just entered the realm; as long as you avoid the edges, you won't encounter them most of the time."
"Haha, those black robes are also afraid of you calling for backup."
"That's a relief. Priest Jun, roughly how long does it take to travel from one minor world to another? I want to know how long I need to stay on guard."
"That varies." Priest Jun pulled his personal notes on spells from a Cubic Space. "The minor worlds closer to the center are more scattered, while the ones further out are densely packed. You don't have a cloud layer yet, and you haven't learned the Flight Technique. Relying solely on Shrinking Ground to an Inch, it will probably take you anywhere from a few days to over a week to travel between different minor worlds. Then again, those distant minor worlds usually aren't worth much anyway."
The Flight Technique.
It seemed learning the Flight Technique was quite necessary before advancing to a Cloud Hidden Priest.
Even so, Li Ban didn't change his mind.
He should have some merit saved up—quite a bit, actually.
He just didn't know if the Myriad Ancient Pagoda's merit could be exchanged for that of the Imperial Dynasty Priests.
If not, he could always contact the Imperial Dynasty Priests in Yanzhou and learn spells from them instead.
Priest Jun then taught Li Ban the two spells.
Since he already had experience learning simpler spells, Li Ban grasped the Rending Technique quickly, though using it flexibly and proficiently would still require a long period of practice.
As for the Spirit Attachment Art, it was indeed difficult. By the time the sky turned completely dark and torches were lit around the waterfall and the Myriad Ancient Pagoda, Li Ban still hadn't managed to complete all the necessary intent changes.
Nevertheless, he now understood the crucial points for casting both spells and could go back to practice on his own.
Bidding Priest Jun farewell, Li Ban returned to his small building.
Deng Jun was still waiting inside. Shi Ming hadn't returned yet.
Telling Deng Jun to make himself at home and not to wait up for him in the future, Li Ban headed up to his second-floor bedroom.
He practiced the Rending Technique a bit more, rested on his bed for a moment to recover his energy, and then hurried into the Shadow World.
He opened his eyes and sat up, still safely tucked away inside the pile of steel garbage.
Li Ban was in no rush to head out.
He brought out the Faceless One's Self-Seeking Mirror.
Although he had arrived at the Unreturning Place, he was still familiarizing himself with the situation and learning spells; his formal mental refinement hadn't officially begun yet.
His own Self-Seeking Mirror was currently only being used for communication.
Now that he was about to leave the Trash Realm, he decided to have another chat with the Faceless One in the mirror while he was still in this world without spiritual rhinoceros.
Based on what he had learned about the Myriad Ancient Pagoda over the past few days, Li Ban realized his Star River was an incredibly unique existence.
Neither Pagoda Master Qian nor Priest Jun had ever mentioned the Star River while imparting knowledge to him.
So far, the only person Li Ban had met who had any connection to the Star River was the Faceless One.
The Single-Handled Bronze Mirror appeared in Li Ban's palm.
To his eyes, the surface was blank, reflecting nothing at all.
But soon, a dim starry sky materialized.
Followed by the stone throne, though it sat empty.
Even without seeing him, Li Ban directed a question at the mirror.
"What does the Star River behind you mean?"
"Why... would you ask about that?" The Faceless One abruptly appeared, looking as if he had been sitting there the whole time.
"Because I've seen it somewhere else."
The Faceless One chuckled softly. "What kind of luck is that?"
Li Ban frowned but didn't respond, quietly waiting for an answer.
"The starlight behind me is my divine kingdom."
Li Ban still didn't say anything, but this time it was because he was too shocked to speak.
"You're... you're a Great Wizard?"
Though he had entertained some wild theories, hearing the Faceless One indirectly admit to it still caught him completely off guard.
Since becoming a Priest, Li Ban had only seen their reigning Wizard Lord once—and even then, it was just a portrait infused with the man's intent, not his actual person.
To think he had been chatting with a Great Wizard this entire time.
"You could say that, though it's nothing impressive."
"Which faction's Wizard Lord are you?"
"Heh, I'm no Wizard Lord. A Wizard Lord is the head of a faction, possibly with other Great Wizards following him. Me? I have no faction, nor do I have the strength to build one."
"I'm just a guy who kept stubbornly bashing his head against a brick wall until both the wall and his head broke."
Li Ban had previously thought the Faceless One was incredibly mysterious.
But now, he realized the man was also in terrible shape.
Was it possible he was locked inside this Self-Seeking Mirror?
On second thought, Li Ban rejected his own hypothesis.
No matter how down on his luck a Great Wizard was, it was highly unlikely he would be imprisoned in a hidden room within the little Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
He must be locked up somewhere else, and this mirror is his only way of contacting the outside world.
Judging by the Myriad Ancient Pagoda and Imperial Dynasty Priests factions, Great Wizards generally didn't communicate with priests.
And priests certainly didn't dare casually reach out to Great Wizards for no reason.
Yet, even if he was locked up and in an abnormal state, Li Ban wouldn't dare underestimate a Great Wizard.
Then again, he had a Star River of his own.
Even though his Star River rarely listened to his commands, it had at least saved his life a few times.
So... it definitely counted as his possession!
"May I ask, are the Star River and the wizard embryo the same thing?"
Li Ban already knew that for a priest to become a Great Wizard, they had to collect Wizard Embryo Fragments and fuse the scattered pieces into a complete wizard embryo.
An activated wizard embryo would then become the Great Wizard's divine kingdom, making the Great Wizard the creator god of that kingdom.
Omnipotent.
"You're getting greedy," the Faceless One said, laughing suddenly. "A newly activated wizard embryo does not take the form of a Star River."
Li Ban gasped inwardly.
His fingers involuntarily tightened around the bronze mirror's handle, producing a faint creaking sound.
He was a little thrilled.
The Star River hidden in his consciousness was even more formidable than he had imagined.
Initially, he had assumed the Star River was a priest's technique. Then he discovered that priests knew nothing about it. Now, it turned out that even regular Great Wizards couldn't possess one.
But after the initial thrill faded, a secret wave of anxiety washed over him.
Such an incredibly powerful trump card was hiding right inside his consciousness.
Was it a gift from the heavens, or a deadly trap?
If the Star River truly was that powerful, could he really control it?
I need to make sure the Star River answers to me. I don't want to spend all this effort growing stronger, only to end up as a stepping stone for someone else.
Besides that, Li Ban noticed another detail.
Namely, he also tangibly possessed a Wizard Embryo Fragment in addition to the Star River.
They were not the same thing.
He could at least tell that much apart.
Naturally, Li Ban wouldn't reveal to the Faceless One that he had a Star River of his own.
Yet he desperately wanted to confirm whether the Star River was being controlled by someone else.
After a moment of thought, he asked a seemingly unrelated question.
"For an ordinary Great Wizard to reach a state like yours where they possess a Star River, they must have to cultivate for a very long time, right?"
The Faceless One's voice carried an indifferent laziness.
"How long? Hard to say. If they can ignite the light, becoming a Wizard Lord in a single day isn't impossible."
Ignite the light?
Li Ban silently committed those words to memory.
Seeing Li Ban staring blankly, the Faceless One shook his head. "For now, you should focus on parting clouds to see the stars."
"It seems becoming a Cloud Hidden Priest isn't difficult," Li Ban replied.
"Of course. From Spiritual Initiation to Cloud-Hidden is a matter of accumulation, but from Cloud-Hidden to Star Glow is a matter of enlightenment."
Noting Li Ban's thoughtful expression, the Faceless One said softly, "You've changed a little. Perhaps that's a good thing."
Amidst a sound that was hard to tell whether it was a sigh or just an exhale, the Faceless One's voice gradually faded away.
After finishing his conversation with the Faceless One, Li Ban repeated the phrases "ignite the light" and "enlightenment" over and over in his mind.
Those two concepts were clearly the keys to advancement.
Suddenly remembering something, he immediately returned to the Wizard World.
In his past life, he had heard the theory that "lightning creates life."
What separated a wizard embryo from a Star River was likely vitality.
Although Li Ban didn't understand the exact principles behind it, he figured there was no harm in trying to stimulate his Star River.
The flow of the Star River had saved him from the "Virus" element, and apart from that, it only brought him into the Shadow World.
If he gave it a little jolt, who knew what other abilities the Star River might reveal?
Upon returning to his room in the Wizard World, Li Ban immediately rushed to a chest in the corner and dug out an item.
The premium element he had obtained in the Capital City: the Nine Heavens Thunder Meteor.