"White robes do not fall and become black robes just because they absorb the Wizard Embryo Fragments of other priests."
Li Ban remained perfectly composed.
But within that composure lay a new, detached coldness.
"Indeed." Priest Qian Que nodded.
Priest Li He understood what Li Ban meant.
"The fundamental difference between white robes and black robes lies in their method of cultivation. White-robed priests focus on cultivating the mind. The moment they merge with another priest's Wizard Embryo Fragment, their cultivation shifts from self-elevation to plundering others, turning them into black robes. And this change is irreversible."
Priest Li He stroked his beard.
Back at the Recycling Station, frequent battles had forced Priest Li He to crop his long hair and beard short. Now, however, he looked the picture of solemn dignity.
"So the true reason a white robe turns black is a shift in their state of mind." He looked at Li Ban, still finding it incredible. "But no white robe has ever maintained their disposition after fusing with another's Wizard Embryo Fragment. Even if it is just for a split second, the moment they so much as think of using the absorbed Wizard Embryo Fragment's power to advance to a Great Wizard, they instantly become a black robe."
The power of a Great Wizard stemmed from their will, making control over that will paramount.
Ordinary mortals had a saying: even if a person thought about committing murder ten thousand times, as long as they never acted on it, they were still not a murderer.
Priests did not have that luxury.
The moment they absorbed a Wizard Embryo Fragment, a single fleeting thought of plunder was enough to turn them into a black robe.
Even priests could not maintain perfect control over their hearts at all times.
Yet so much time had passed since Li Ban absorbed another's Wizard Embryo Fragment, and he still hadn't turned into a black robe.
Li He was intensely curious about how he had managed it.
He was also curious if there was a way for others to do the same.
Li Ban did not offer any further explanation. He merely said, "As long as my reason for fusing with Xiao Suo's Wizard Embryo Fragment wasn't to advance to a Great Wizard, I wouldn't become a black robe."
"That's too diffi—" Priest Qian Que suddenly froze. "Who?"
"Xiao Suo?" Priest Li He shot to his feet. "You're saying you fused with Xiao Suo's Wizard Embryo Fragment? Are you sure? We've failed to catch Xiao Suo for years, yet the moment you return, you kill him and fuse with his Wizard Embryo Fragment?"
Li He had received clear reports that a year ago, Priest Zhu Yao had united with numerous priests of the Imperial Dynasty to lay a trap. Yet Xiao Suo had still escaped in the end. Even the Realm Emperor had died, forcing Priest Chu Zhan to step in temporarily until Crown Prince Li Zhai reached full spiritual rhinoceros and could inherit the throne.
How could anyone believe that Xiao Suo—a man who had eluded such a massive dragnet—had died at the hands of Li Ban, a newly advanced Star Glow Priest?
Li Ban remained calm. He showed no pride in having accomplished something monumental.
To him, it wasn't a monumental accomplishment at all.
"There is no need for surprise. I was only able to kill Xiao Suo this time because he had just returned from the Dark Side of the World. His body was weak, and his condition was abnormal. Besides, killing Xiao Suo once is not enough to completely erase him."
He looked at Priest Qian Que. "Priest Zhu—Yao also killed Xiao Suo once. He simply didn't die completely. And he possesses a special ability that makes you all forget he ever died, leaving you to believe he escapes at the last second every time."
Priest Qian Que grew more bewildered as he listened. "Special? It makes us forget? Everyone?"
"He is merely an 8th Tier black robe." Priest Li He sat back down, refusing to believe a black-robed priest could tamper with everyone's memory. "Even if he has a Great Wizard backing him, it wouldn't matter. This is the Wizard World, the world protected by the three Great Wizard Lords, the master of all realms created by the final Wizard Lord. No other Great Wizard's laws can breach the inherent rules of the Wizard World."
"I truly do not know how he managed it, but in the Imperial Palace, I saw with my own eyes as Priest Yao sacrificed Xiao Suo's Wizard Embryo Fragment to the Myriad Ancient Pagoda Wizard Lord," Li Ban said calmly. "Last time, he assisted Du An in ambushing Priest Jun, and then died at the bottom of the pool to cover Du An's escape."
Qian Que and Li He exchanged a glance. None of these events matched the memories in their minds.
"Not only that, but Xiao Suo can split himself, allowing multiple versions to exist simultaneously. To completely kill a specific Xiao Suo, one must fuse with his Wizard Embryo Fragment."
Li He crossed his arms. "If none of us can remember Xiao Suo dying, how do you know all of this?"
"I also returned from the Dark Side of the World."
Li He didn't want to believe that Xiao Suo could constantly resurrect, nor did he want to believe that Li Ban could return from the Dark Side of the World completely unscathed.
But if he refused to believe it, he couldn't explain why Li Ban hadn't turned into a black robe.
Yet to believe it felt entirely too absurd!
"What exactly is inside the Dark Side of the World?"
"There are—" Li Ban lowered his eyes. "Things that cannot be spoken of."
He could not say it.
Even bearing a Star River, he still could not put it into words.
Here in the Wizard World, Li Ban viscerally felt the power of its rules.
Seeing that Li Ban was unable to speak, Li He lowered his arms, his fingers lightly tapping the small table beside him.
"Relying purely on willpower to control greed and prevent yourself from falling into a black robe is not something others can manage. As for Xiao Suo, your explanation is even harder to believe. But as long as you are a white robe, you will always be a priest of the Myriad Ancient Pagoda, and you will remain our companion."
Li He couldn't be certain that the Wizard Embryo Fragment Li Ban had fused with actually belonged to Xiao Suo, so he naturally couldn't confirm whether Xiao Suo could resurrect.
"Since you cannot bring yourselves to believe me, why not join me?" Li Ban asked.
"What do you plan to do?" Priest Qian Que asked.
"Find the other Xiao Suos. Then, kill them all, one by one!" Li Ban's eyes were resolute, his voice dipping low.
Despite being over forty, Qian Lailai still looked like a young girl. She lifted her pale yellow gauze skirt and sprinted up the stairs.
She reached Pagoda Master Qian Jing's room, pushed the door open, and asked loudly, "Mother, how come I'm hearing that Priest Ban has returned?"
Qian Jing, who was in the middle of discussing matters with the two vice pagoda masters, frowned. She pointed a finger at the ceiling. "Keep your voice down. The priests are right upstairs."
Qian Lailai offered a quick greeting to the two vice pagoda masters, then darted behind her mother. "Pagoda Master Mother, I heard Priest Ban found a blessing in disguise and advanced to a Star Glow Priest!"
The two vice pagoda masters watched on with smiles.
They didn't have a Solar Priest for an ancestor, so they absolutely didn't dare discuss the affairs of priests.
Still, being able to take this opportunity to listen in was nice.
"I don't know the exact details either." Qian Jing thought for a moment before telling the girl, letting the two vice pagoda masters hear it as well. "The ancestor and Priest He are both in the secret chamber examining Priest Ban. They might call us over shortly. No matter what, our respectful attitude toward the Lord Priests must not change."
That last sentence was primarily directed at her daughter.
Seeing her daughter pout and dial back the curiosity in her eyes, Qian Jing turned to instruct the left vice pagoda master. "Zhang Zong, go make preparations. The Lord Priest might request Priest Ban's original body."
"Yes." The left vice pagoda master stood up. "I'll head over right away."
Qian Lailai sat down close to her mother. Even though she was already a 4th Tier Spirit Practitioner and no longer young, her completely carefree life left her face shining with the brightness of a young girl.
"Mother, do you think Priest Ban will use his new body or his original one from now on?"
Right Vice Pagoda Master Xun You smiled at Qian Lailai. He had practically watched the child grow up, and the moment she opened her mouth, he knew exactly what she was thinking.
Qian Jing immediately smacked her daughter's arm. "Which body the Lord Priest uses has absolutely nothing to do with you. Watch your words!"
Qian Lailai swallowed the rest of her words.
She pursed her lips, looking quite dissatisfied.
Due to Priest Du An's rebellion, her great-great-grandfather had advanced prematurely, thereby losing the opportunity to continue his advancement to Divine Offspring.
But since Divine Offspring Priests almost never walked the Nine Provinces, an 8th Tier Solar Priest was already one of the most powerful existences in the world.
Therefore, even though the atmosphere in the Myriad Ancient Pagoda had become tense, there was not much change for Qian Lailai.
Even Priest Li He, who had stepped in to manage the Unreturning Place's Myriad Ancient Pagoda while her great-great-grandfather was in secluded recovery, treated their Qian family with great kindness.
Her mother had long ago prepared the elements she would need for her future advancements.
From the time she was born until now, Qian Lailai rarely had anything to worry about.
Because of that, the things she focused on were also different from others.
Priest Qian Que had forbidden her mother from disturbing Li Ban, and Qian Jing naturally didn't dare to disobey, but Qian Lailai had other ideas.
Growing up, Qian Lailai had seen many priests. Thanks to her great-great-grandfather, some were kind to her, but always like elders treating a junior.
Others, also because of her great-great-grandfather's relationships, kept their distance and treated her with inexplicable coldness.
Regardless of their personality, every priest made people feel that they and Spirit Practitioners were not from the same world.
It was as if they forever stood high above, looking down upon the masses.
No matter their attitude, Qian Lailai always felt like she was merely an object of observation when she was around them.
Only Li Ban—who was originally just a menial laborer and joined the Myriad Ancient Pagoda midway through his life—did not make her feel like she needed to look up to him.
It was as if she had finally seen a "human" among the priests.
To the point that, even though she was not allowed to disturb Li Ban, she always anticipated occasionally running into him.
Unfortunately, Priest Ban had met with misfortune not long after entering the Unreturning Place's Myriad Ancient Pagoda.
She had once thought he would not be able to return, and had secretly moped for a few days.
Admonished by her mother to watch her words, Qian Lailai didn't dare discuss the priests again, but instead propped her chin on her hand and pondered.
"I heard Priest Ban's new body is better looking," she muttered. "Will he not want his original body anymore? But no matter what the new body looks like, the original one should still be more pleasing to the eye, right? Priests have no need to care about appearances."
After finishing her discussion on miscellaneous affairs with Xun You, Pagoda Master Qian Jing turned back to find her daughter sitting idly to the side.
She was neither studying how to handle affairs, nor going back to do her own work.
"If you have nothing to do, go back to the seventh floor. What are you doing wasting time here with me?"
"Lailai is probably hoping to catch firsthand news by waiting here with you, Pagoda Master," Xun You said, smiling as warmly as ever.
He knew that with him present, Pagoda Master Qian could not easily have a private conversation with her daughter, so he stood up.
"Pagoda Master, I will head back first."
"Mm. I will leave the transport route matters to you."
Qian Jing was very respectful to both vice pagoda masters, not acting arrogant just because she had a Solar Priest for a great-grandfather.
After seeing off Vice Pagoda Master Xun You, Qian Jing returned to find her daughter still staring blankly.
"Stop staring into space and go back to work. The Magistrate of Yanzhou just sent over a batch of Spirit Practitioner corpses. Go process them."
, 7
Seeing Qian Lailai's listless appearance, Qian Jing couldn't bear it and offered a low word of comfort.
"We likely won't get any news about Priest Ban today."
"If the subsequent situation can be shared, I will tell you."
Qian Jing sat beside her daughter, gently stroking her hair.
One's own child would always look like a little baby, whether they were forty or four hundred.
"You haven't seen Priest Ban many times. How come you are so interested in him?"
Qian Lailai waved her hand casually, not blushing at all. "I'm not at the point of liking him. I just feel that he doesn't have that look other priests have—the one that treats us like wooden puppets in a puppet show."
Qian Jing smiled. "What nonsense are you saying?"
Her eyes, however, dimmed slightly.
Failing to become a priest meant ultimately turning to dust.
Even as a Seventh Tier Spirit Practitioner, she merely possessed a century or two more lifespan than an ordinary person.
To priests with their long lifespans, they were like mayflies, born in the morning and dead by evening. How could the other party ever truly care about the feelings of a mayfly?
She always wanted to marry her daughter to a priest, but that was only in the hope that her life and the lives of the Qian family descendants could be easier and more brilliant.
If they could produce another priest, that would be even better.
Qian Jing continued, "If you feel more comfortable being around Priest Ban, you can try to interact with him when you have time. Just absolutely do not disturb the Lord, and you definitely must not anger him."
Priest Ban had managed to advance two consecutive tiers within a single year.
This kind of talent and fortune was unmatched by other priests.
Perhaps he truly had the potential to become a Dark Moon Priest in the future, and then take over the Unreturning Place's Myriad Ancient Pagoda.
Pagoda Master Qian Jing looked at her daughter and decided to go ask her great-grandfather.
Qian Lailai saw the Priest Ban she had been worrying over again at noon, three days later.
She heard that Priest Ban needed to undergo Priest Li He's examination before he could return, but she didn't expect the checkup to take three days.
And the Priest Ban who appeared three days later was no longer the Priest Ban she knew.
The other party had changed his face; his features were regular, though he wasn't as handsome as Priest Chu Qi had described.
If Priest Qian Que had not introduced him to everyone, Qian Lailai would never have guessed that the person standing beside Priest Qian Que was Li Ban.
Because the look in Li Ban's eyes when he glanced over was completely different from before.
When he nodded to greet her, although a peaceful smile still hung at the corners of his mouth, his eyes held absolutely none of her
reflection.
Qian Lailai froze.
When the crowd left, she uncharacteristically did not follow. Instead, she stood in place, constantly recalling Li Ban's new face and those completely changed eyes.
Although she was inexperienced in the ways of the world, her pure heart surprisingly made her the only person present to intuitively sense the change.
Li Ban seemed to no longer be a person of this world.
Li Ban saw that Qian Lailai didn't follow the crowd, but his heart felt absolutely no ripples.
If it were in the past, he might have thought of avoiding her.
But now, those people simply did not matter.
After reacquainting himself with the crowd, he returned to his pavilion perched on the cliff face.
Priest Qian Que and a few others personally escorted him back.
"Fusing the two bodies together is still somewhat risky. I suggest you rest for another three months." The one speaking was Priest Chu Qi, who had a fairly good relationship with Li Ban.
"No need," Li Ban said, looking back at Chu Qi. "Priest Qian Que's spellwork was incredible. I don't feel the slightest bit of discomfort right now."
It was true.
Li Ban had neither chosen to transfer his divine soul back into his original body, nor had he chosen to remain in Gu Yi's body.
He had requested Priest Qian Que to merge the two bodies into one, and took this opportunity to change his appearance.
It was his appearance from his past life.
It wasn't particularly dazzling, but it was still the self in the depths of his heart.
It was also his acceptance of this world.