Faced with Li Ban's sudden question, Hao Yang appeared perfectly calm. He shook his head and said, "I don't have a brother."
This answer was somewhat unexpected.
In the previous timeline, Hao Ze and Hao Yang had only recognized each other after entering the Recycling Station.
So why was Priest Hao Yang saying he had no brother here?
"Ah, then it must be a coincidence." After a brief thought, Li Ban abandoned his original plan to prompt their reunion.
Perhaps the man had some hidden difficulties, or perhaps the time for their reunion had yet to arrive.
Once this minor interlude passed, the two Dark Moon Priests of the Mist Realm joined forces to seal off the entire hall.
Dense fog crawled up the surrounding white pillars like reptiles. Using the pillars as anchor points, it expanded and coalesced, ultimately sealing the hall's interior completely.
That done, Dark Moon Priest Liu Yun spoke solemnly to Hunyou and Li Ban. "The hall is now sealed. Everyone outside believes we are experimenting on new crops. The priests in here are all highly capable, core members who can be absolutely trusted."
They had summoned everyone without asking for details purely out of their trust in Priest Hunyou.
Just as Priest Hunyou was about to speak, he suddenly glanced back at Li Ban.
He raised his hand and patted Li Ban's arm. "Let Priest Ban explain. He formulated the action plan for this."
Li Ban did not defer. He recounted his discoveries and thoughts once more.
At first, the Mist Realm priests were simply furious.
Mist Valley was extremely close to the River of Helplessness, which put it right on the doorstep of the Mist Realm's headquarters.
To think the Black Robe Xiao Suo dared to stir up trouble right under their noses!
Priest Hunyou had deep personal experience with this.
He said helplessly, "Relying on his profound strength, this Black Robe Xiao Suo loves to engage in extremely dangerous activities. Last time, he lured the Realm Emperor into betrayal right in the Imperial City, and didn't we fail to catch him then, too?"
Ai Jing let out a heavy snort, though it wasn't directed at Priest Hunyou. "Since when does this Xiao Suo rely on profound strength? He is just incredibly sinister and skilled at running away."
Liu Yun was much more composed. "Thanks to Priest Ban discovering Xiao Suo's scheme in advance this time, we have more time to prepare."
Ai Jing clenched her fists. "Right! This time, we must lay down an inescapable net. We absolutely cannot let Xiao Suo escape again!"
Seeing Ai Jing so agitated, Priest Liu Yun explained, "Xiao Suo previously launched a sneak attack in Nihility State, killing several Mist Realm priests. Among them was a close friend of Priest Jing. She pursued Xiao Suo for three days and three nights, nearly trapping herself entirely within the Mist Zone."
Ai Jing sighed. "I chased him into the depths of the mist, nearly failing to make it out myself. I thought he would disappear behind the fog forever like anyone else. Who would have expected him to show up again not long after I returned? If I had known he'd have that kind of luck, I would have grabbed hold of him and dragged him into the depths of the mist with me."
"Ah!" Priest Hunyou hurriedly consoled her. "You are an important pillar of the Mist Realm. How can you harbor thoughts of carelessly sacrificing yourself?"
Ai Jing smiled bitterly. "Without advancing to a Solar Priest, how could I arrogantly call myself a pillar? I would be better off creating a safe environment for the other priests."
As soon as she said this, the other Mist Realm priests quickly stepped forward to comfort her.
Priest Hunyou spoke softly to Li Ban. "Because she lost so many companions back then, Priest Ai Jing's cultivation of the mind suffered a heavy blow. She can no longer maintain the restraint a Dark Moon Priest must strictly observe, yet she cannot achieve the absolute breakthrough needed to advance. So Xiao Suo has become her inner demon, in all but name!"
Li Ban nodded, looking at Priest Ai Jing among the crowd.
Clearly, everyone present genuinely cared for Priest Ai Jing.
Although the quiet Priest Hao Yang did not offer words of comfort, he had also walked over to her side.
Seeing this, Li Ban murmured back to Priest Hunyou, "Since Xiao Suo is her inner demon, couldn't we just help her eradicate him?"
Priest Hunyou looked at Li Ban in astonishment.
Those words were rather arrogant!
Black Robe Xiao Suo had committed so many wicked deeds that people wished they could devour his flesh and drink his blood. Yet, no white-robed priest had ever managed to catch and kill him.
But now, Li Ban dared to casually speak of helping Priest Ai Jing eliminate her inner demon!
However, Solar Priest Qian Que was also participating in this operation.
Although Priest Qian Que had little hope of continuing to advance to Divine Offspring, and likely wasn't considered particularly powerful among the 8th Tier priests, a Solar Priest was still a Solar Priest.
Possessing such an identity automatically made one a leader among the three great factions.
This was a testament to the recognized strength of a Solar Priest.
Furthermore, Solar Priests could communicate with the Great Wizards, and even the Wizard Lord, far more often than anyone else.
Only when Priest Ai Jing calmed down did the group resume discussing the ambush.
They talked for two whole shichen. Before long, the Mist Realm priests would need to start preparing for their dusk patrols.
Fortunately, matters had been mostly hammered out. They would only need to go over the details again in a few days.
The priests worked with high efficiency. For those who had managed to become sixth- or seventh-tier priests, almost none would ruin things out of carelessness.
With the plotting against Xiao Suo temporarily concluded, Li Ban pulled over the Cat Girl, who had been standing silently by his side all along.
The Cat Girl knew very well that merely stepping into the white hall to participate in the priests' discussion was already a special privilege.
She hadn't spoken a single word the entire time, worried she would cause trouble for Li Ban and Priest Hunyou.
Li Ban also knew that in the eyes of most priests, Spirit Practitioners were existences that didn't warrant any attention. He hadn't wanted to draw attention to the Cat Girl, as that would only be to her detriment.
"Everyone here is very knowledgeable about the mist and Nihility State. My good friend, the Cat Girl, has just integrated Cyan Silk Algae elements that were once in a chaotic state. I have never seen anyone else integrate chaotic elements after they stabilized, so I wonder if there will be any hidden dangers in the future?"
Only then did the gazes of the Mist Realm priests fall upon the Cat Girl.
Of course, they had noticed the Cat Girl from the very beginning.
It was just that they had only glossed over her. Even when Priest Hunyou first made the introductions, he had merely stated in passing that she was Priest Ban's person.
At first, everyone just assumed she was a special beast-blood servant. They hadn't expected Priest Ban to actually call her a good friend.
While it was uncertain exactly what kind of "good friend" she was, they didn't need to look too deeply into it.
Li Ban had occupied an important position during the recent discussion; after all, he was the one who had discovered Xiao Suo's traces.
The group was perfectly willing to give him some face at this moment.
"Let me take a look." Surprisingly, the one who stepped forward was Dark Moon Priest Liu Yun.
He originally had a composed personality, and right now, he deliberately spoke in a gentle tone. To the Cat Girl, he felt like a kind old physician.
Priest Liu Yun waved his embroidered robe, and a small cluster of white mist squeezed out from the fog wall beside him.
The cluster of white fog drifted into Liu Yun's hand on its own, shrinking until it formed a white pill the size of a grain of rice.
"Miss Cat, please swallow this pill."