Even though everyone had picked up the pace, integrating the team and making preparations still took nearly a month.
During this time, Zhu Yao frequently traveled between Heaven Beyond Heaven and the Priest Camp, eventually mastering the Spatial Guidance Art.
Although Priest Dong Yi, who was also responsible for casting the Spatial Guidance Art, hadn't gone to the distant White Strait, he hadn't spent all his years at the Recycling Station for nothing.
Even without visiting the White Strait to familiarize himself with the situation, he could smoothly cast the Spatial Guidance Art for the Sea of Monsters and the White Strait. He had even cast it for Zhu Yao right at the beginning as a reference.
However, due to the complexity and power of the Spatial Guidance Art, both he and Zhu Yao could only cast it once a day.
After casting it, their mental states would only allow for self-preservation; it would be difficult for them to take on any combat roles.
Therefore, when and on whom these two arts would be cast had to be carefully considered.
Furthermore, they couldn't afford to expend too much energy before casting the Spatial Guidance Art.
Because of this, the Five Major Camps dispatched two priests to specifically follow and protect them.
After Li Ban absorbed the waste elements at night and infused them into the White Seeds, the Director distributed those White Seeds to the priests participating in the operation, again under his own name.
This led the people from the Five Major Camps to secretly believe that the Director had found a way to convert waste elements into spiritual rhinoceros.
If everyone weren't so focused on the operation to leave the Sea of Monsters right now, they would likely be fighting over this miraculous conversion method in the shadows, sparking another storm of blood and violence.
Li Ban was somewhat worried about the Director's situation after he left.
But the Director stated very bluntly, "Once you guys actually leave, I'll push the credit for this ability onto you. If they want the conversion method, they can go look for you outside."
"I'm just afraid they won't believe it."
"Most of them will believe it. After all, I only acquired this technique after you arrived. Heh, it's the truth, anyway. Even if some don't believe it, it doesn't matter. If a situation arises that I can't handle, I'll hide myself, upload my consciousness, and wait until everyone from this batch dies out before coming back out."
Li Ban wanted to praise him, but remembering that the next batch of people to enter would be their own group, he decided it was better not to.
On the day before the operation, the Director contacted Li Ban, asking him to return to Wanghai Cliff.
When Li Ban hurried to Wanghai Cliff, the Director didn't take him to the mind domain construction platform, but instead went to a room on the fifth floor.
Because Allen was still at the Priest Camp helping the Director pass messages, the Director pushed his wheelchair into the room by himself.
"Previously, to ensure Wanghai Cliff wouldn't get dragged into camp disputes, I didn't hoard many resources. What I provided to others was only technology and information."
After all, the Director was the only person at Wanghai Cliff—Allen could only be counted as half a person. If he sat on a massive hoard of physical resources, he definitely wouldn't be able to protect them.
"After you arrived, I commissioned a friend to deliver something. You guys are entering the Sea of Monsters tomorrow, so it's a good thing he made it in time."
The Director entered the archive-like room and took a dusty little pouch from the outermost shelf.
"I think you know by now that after becoming a priest, it's best to fuse with superior elements. Only when you truly can't find a suitable one do you fuse with quality elements."
Li Ban took the pouch and nodded, already having some guesses about its contents.
"I still have a use for the superior element 'Mind Split', so I can't give it to you right now."
Naturally, Li Ban wouldn't fight the Director for his element. He said easily, "Actually, I've picked up quite a few elements in the Recycling Station, too. Since elements can't be fused here, most are discarded, which ended up benefiting me."
Especially in the monster lairs Li Ban had visited, he had picked up quite a few elements. Although most were common elements, there were a few quality elements among them.
"Although the abilities of elements can't be used in the Recycling Station, those truly rare elements are still hoarded by people, saved for the future. You probably haven't picked up any superior elements out in the wild, right?"
"True," Li Ban admitted.
People here used small amounts of waste elements to boost rye production, so they would definitely use normal elements for other experiments as well.
"What's in this pouch is also a superior element. What's more, it is an extremely rare psychic-type superior element. Don't open this pouch yet. Wait until you return to the Wizard World, and the moment you open it, absorb it immediately, or else it might run away."
"Run away? This is the first time I've encountered an element with its own consciousness." Li Ban was very curious. Staring at the dusty little pouch in his hand, he hadn't expected the item inside to be so miraculous and precious.
Such a superior element would be absolutely priceless, even in the Wizard World.
"Only superior elements have a chance of developing simple consciousness, but the probability is extremely low. Most elements like this are controlled by the Divine Offspring Priests, which is why I've only obtained this single one in all my years at the Recycling Station."
The Director looked at the little pouch resting quietly in Li Ban's palm and said with some emotion, "The name of this element is Shadow Inner Demon."
"Although I haven't fused with it, through my research and analysis, its ability should be to induce an inner demon in an enemy of your choosing. It kills without a trace."
"Whoa!" Li Ban exclaimed. "This thing is simply a lethal weapon against white-robed priests, who need to cultivate their state of mind."
If it fell into the hands of black-robed priests, who used plunder as their means of advancement, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Not just white-robed priests. I suspect it could exert enough influence on a Great Wizard, too. In short—don't tell anyone about the existence of this element. After you leave the Recycling Station, I will upload the version of myself that holds this memory into the mind domain and seal it away."
Li Ban nodded solemnly. "I understand. Thank you, Director."
"No need to thank me." The Director's eyes held a complex expression. "Keep moving forward according to your own ideas. In the end, our goals will align."
Early the next morning, Li Ban opened his eyes back in the Priest Camp.
After taking the better part of a day to rest thoroughly, his mental state was completely restored, and his body was brimming with spiritual rhinoceros.
Everything was ready.
He rendezvoused with Priest Hao Yang and the others. Upon arriving outside, they saw that many priests and participants of this operation had also gathered at the Priest Camp, fully armed and ready for battle.
A massive metal door had already been erected at the entrance of the Priest Camp.
This was the spatial teleportation device provided by the Director.
It converted spiritual rhinoceros into energy and used that energy to construct the environment needed for the spell, allowing this metal door to maintain the spatial teleportation spell for a short period of time.
Li Ban didn't understand the underlying principles, but both he and Zhu Yao had already used it several times, confirming that there were absolutely no issues with this spell.
Guarding beside the door were Allen and Ed.
These two had the most straightforward minds, so they would strictly execute the Director's orders and wouldn't step a single inch away from the door.
Beside them were priests from other camps, responsible for protecting the two men as well as the portal.
Seeing Li Ban walk out, the Director's voice emerged from the speaker on Allen's chest.
"Once the operation officially begins, there won't be much left for me to do on this end. However, I will keep the door open at all times. If you realize there's a problem with the operation and it cannot be completed, you can come back through the portal on that side."
The Director deliberately said this in front of everyone to publicly back Li Ban.
"I know. I won't give up easily, but I won't throw my life away pointlessly, either."
After saying that, Li Ban raised a hand and summoned the black dragon Dila.
The Priest Camp was quite a distance from the Sea of Monsters. Naturally, they couldn't just walk there, nor was it a good idea to waste spiritual rhinoceros, so they decided to ride the giant dragon.
Dila would not be participating in this operation.
His body was too large to join the assault team's movements, nor could he pass through the portal, so he had to stay behind.
Fortunately, he was extremely terrified of the Sea of Monsters. Hearing that he didn't need to enter, he actually breathed a sigh of relief.
However, no longer being able to follow Li Ban made Dila feel somewhat disappointed.
Li Ban left Dila to the Director, which would conveniently serve as a means of transport for the mobility-impaired Director.
"Lord Priest, are you leaving today?" Dila's voice sounded listless.
His mother had died right when he was born; it was Li Ban and Zhu Yao who had rescued him.
Because of that, in Dila's heart, Li Ban and Zhu Yao were no different from his own family.
It was just a pity that both of them were leaving now.
"If everything goes smoothly, we'll leave today. If we ever return, it might be a very long time."
Dila's eyes lit up. "You'll come back?"
"As long as I find a method to enter and exit, I'll be back," Li Ban said affirmatively.
Watching the Sea of Monsters grow closer and closer, they could already see those hideous faces on the periphery.
Dila suddenly came to a halt.
Just as he stopped, he felt several gazes land on him.
He hurriedly resumed flying, only his speed was slightly faster than before.
"Lord Priest Ban, I... could I entrust my little brother to you?"
"Little brother?" Li Ban was surprised. "You have a little brother?"
"Yes, it's just that Dia is still an egg right now." Dila patted his chest with his little claws. "He's always been inside my stomach."
Under Li Ban's odd gaze, Dila opened his mouth wide and spat out a giant dragon egg.
This egg was only the size of a chicken egg, which, to Dila, was no different from a small pebble.
Twisting his head back, Dila spat the dragon egg into Li Ban's hand.
The dragon egg was silver, possessing a metallic texture to the touch. It felt warm and dry; there was no telling where Dila had actually been hiding it all this time.
Dila was a bit reluctant to part with it. "Before, to give birth to me, Mother had to sacrifice my brother's nutrients. However, before she passed away, she still entrusted my brother to me to carry, hoping that one day, Dia could also be born into this world. Sigh, but in the Recycling Station, Dia probably will never be able to hatch. Even though your operation this time is very dangerous, it's still better than being an egg in the Recycling Station forever."
"Maybe he'll even have the luck to see the outside world," Dila added.
Such a small dragon egg wouldn't take up much space, so Li Ban casually tucked it into his Cubic Space, even thoughtfully placing it in some soil.
"Alright, I'll do my best to bring your brother out."
"Hehe, Priest Ban, you're so nice."
Li Ban shook his head. How was he being nice? It was clearly just something he could do with a wave of his hand.
After Li Ban accepted the dragon egg, Dila cheerfully sped up.
Li Ban turned his head and cast a glance at the receding Priest Camp.
Ed hadn't come along on this operation, but contrary to expectations, Ming Kai—who had been wavering previously—suddenly decided firmly to participate.
As team members who had followed him here, Li Ban respected all of their choices.
With this parting today, if things went smoothly, they might meet again in a few years or decades. If things went poorly, this truly would be their final goodbye.