Jiang Ye, up in the tree, also understood the underlying meaning.

The attitudes of these strong players towards him were clearly far too contemptuous.

Although he could use his [Observer] clone to teach them a lesson, one by one.

But honestly, using the [Dice of Fate] against these strong players would be too much of a loss.

After all, deep down, Jiang Ye had long considered these strong players as "his own people."

Being looked down upon by them didn't really matter.

Since everyone was "his own people" anyway.

The current problem was—

He needed to think of a foolproof plan.

Ideally, one that would make these strong players actively cooperate with him, allowing him to easily achieve the [clone kills clone] effect.

Jiang Ye's train of thought still revolved around utilizing the [Ghost Shadow Parasitism] effect.

To have these strong players cooperate with him to complete [clone kills clone].

But the problem was, how to continue persuading them to participate in the [Ghost Shadow Parasitism] experiment.

And how to make them change to his face before using [Ghost Shadow Parasitism].

Perhaps, he should still work from the angle of these strong players wanting to perform blood-drip acknowledgment on the 「Formless Leaf」.

But specifically, how to perfect all the details...

He needed to think more.

As for the dialogue between Zhou Yuling and the mysterious strong player below, Jiang Ye naturally heard it too.

He felt this mysterious strong player was quite imaginative.

Using an ice sculpture to separate a severed limb, then making the limb bleed—Jiang Ye always felt this method wasn't very reliable.

Even if experimented with, the probability of failure should still be higher.

However, anyway, the process of his clone producing the 「Formless Leaf」 inherently involved bleeding.

So cooperating with this experiment wasn't a big deal for him.

But, it was still like the previous analogy—

Him being willing to donate money, and being forced to donate by others, were two different concepts.

As Jiang Ye thought this, he saw Zhou Yuling take out a voice transmission bead with her bare hands and shake her head at the mysterious strong player:

"The voice transmission bead is right here, but right now, I can't contact Jiang Ye either."

The mysterious strong player took the voice transmission bead, attempted to communicate, and indeed failed.

He was slightly frowning.

Then, he saw a figure suddenly flash down from a high branch of the Formless Tree!

The figure landed somewhat unsteadily on the ground, then looked at Zhou Yuling and the mysterious strong player and said:

"No need for voice transmission, I came myself."

That's right!

This descending figure was actually a new Jiang Ye clone!

Instantly, the other strong players nearby looked over, their hearts filled with shock and doubt.

After all, among so many of them, not a single one could accurately discern how Jiang Ye had appeared!

And...

This kid had already lost nearly ten clones...

He actually dared to appear before everyone again in this level 0 clone, cannon fodder form?

Wasn't he afraid...

But this time, the mysterious strong player did not strike.

Instead...

He narrowed his eyes slightly and abruptly said:

"Jiang Wenxing's inheritance should still be on you, right?"

These words caused another wave of shock and doubt among the surrounding strong players!

So, Jiang Wenxing's inheritance wasn't obtained by this mysterious strong player?

Or was the mysterious strong player deliberately saying this to provoke their speculation?

Then, is this mysterious strong player actually Jiang Wenxing reborn through body seizure?

The observing strong players had complex thoughts, each with their own ideas.

Jiang Ye did not answer, but instead got straight to the point:

"I can cooperate with your experiment."

"Moreover, if I'm not mistaken, aside from this experiment, you'll need my clones to make this Formless Tree grow 99,999 more 「Formless Leaves」."

"And I can even agree to cooperate with your subsequent leaf-making experiments."

This brief statement once again made the strong player participants present feel astonished.

The mysterious strong player, however, remained quite calm, directly raising an eyebrow and asking:

"Then, your conditions?"

This particular Jiang Ye clone acted very composed.

His tone was sincere, sounding as if he meant it:

"Actually, I don't have any special demands."

"Strictly speaking, my request is the same as yours—"

"I also hope the Extreme Court can convene as soon as possible, and everyone can bind the full 99,999 「Formless Leaves」 quickly..."

"So, my request is simple—"

"If your experiment fails..."

"Then, please persuade these strong players to conduct an experiment according to my idea."

"Of course, I can swear—the experiment I lead will also definitely be for the smooth opening of the Extreme Court!"

He sounded quite sincere.

However, the group of strong players present were almost getting PTSD from the word "experiment"!

Dammit! Just for this blood-drip acknowledgment of the Formless Leaf...

How many experiments have they done already?!

Yet, the mysterious strong player directly replied: "Okay."

"As long as you are sure it's for the smooth opening."

Jiang Ye nodded and said bluntly: "Since our interests and goals align..."

"Then, let's proceed with your experiment first."

"Don't stand on ceremony, I'm ready."

This Jiang Ye clone was generated by the main body in the tree.

Although the main body had become a leaf and couldn't speak or move autonomously.

Skills like Clone Fusion and clone swapping were still usable, so generating a clone naturally wasn't a problem.

Of course, the main body didn't have many survival points left.

Generating an additional 90,000 clones was clearly impossible.

But, anyway, there were so many automatic teller machines on site, so Jiang Ye wasn't worried.

The mysterious strong player didn't stand on ceremony either, directly raising a hand and pointing.

This Jiang Ye clone instantly turned into an ice sculpture.

Previously, Jiang Ye's main body was just watching from the tree and didn't have any special feelings about the ice sculpture.

But now, having turned into an ice sculpture himself, he suddenly realized this might not be ordinary "ice"!

Because his frozen clone didn't feel any cold.

It was just inexplicably stiffened to the point of being unable to move.

And this feeling of full-body stiffness, to be honest, was very similar to how he became stiff and immobile after the Formless Tree sucked his blood!

This unique sensation gave him a vague premonition—

Could it be that the "experiment" proposed by this mysterious strong player...

Might actually succeed?

At this point, Jiang Ye began to feel somewhat expectant.

And according to the experiment—

The mysterious strong player indeed severed a small section of Jiang Ye's little finger.

It's unclear whether it was intentional or coincidental.

Before Jiang Ye's clone was turned into an ice sculpture, it specifically struck a pose that made it easy to chop off the little finger.

And in his pose, he deliberately exposed the little finger of his right hand.

However, this mysterious strong player didn't follow the script—

He severed the little finger of Jiang Ye's left hand.

After completing this, he pinched that small piece of finger and analyzed to himself:

"Research indicates—"

"The blood used for a player's blood-drip acknowledgment must be fresh blood within 3 seconds."

"So..."

As he spoke, the mysterious strong player, carrying Jiang Ye's little finger, flashed up to a branch of the Formless Tree.

He brought the little finger close to the 「Formless Leaf」 where Jiang Ye's main body resided, then snapped his fingers, lifting the freezing effect on the little finger.

The entire process indeed did not exceed three seconds.

The unfrozen little finger had blood flowing from the severed end, dripping onto the 「Formless Leaf」 where the main body was...

Just watching this process, the strong players present felt it was special.

Because not long ago, the "blood-drip acknowledgment" performed by Jiang Ye's clones resulted in an abnormal blood mist flowing towards the 「Formless Leaf」.

This time, however, it was clearly substantial, jelly-like blood dripping onto the 「Formless Leaf」.

At this moment, all the strong players present held their breath, concentrating intently.

And Jiang Ye, as the test subject, heard a prompt with extreme clarity—

[Ding!]

[You are about to bind with the Formless Leaf. Do you agree?]

[Yes/No?]

Holy crap?!

The experiment actually succeeded!

However, listening to this somewhat familiar prompt sound.

An utterly absurd thought inexplicably arose in Jiang Ye's heart.

Why did this prompt sound familiar?

Because not long ago (Chapter 224), at the Mask Master's Shop...

When the original Mask Master granted Zhang Minghan's clone the temporary identity of [VIP Customer].

The prompt that sounded in Zhang Minghan's clone's mind was almost identical to this one, differing by only a few words!

And the prompt at that time was:

[Ding!]

[You are about to obtain a temporary identity. Do you agree?]

[Yes/No?]

Two prompts with such a unified format...

Could there be some connection?

Binding the 「Formless Leaf」, could it be roughly equivalent to being granted a temporary identity?

If his main body wasn't inside that 「Formless Leaf」, Jiang Ye might have refused the binding due to his suspicions.

But, since that Formless Leaf was already occupied by Jiang Ye's main body...

Then, it should be fine.

So, Jiang Ye didn't hesitate much and silently selected in his heart: [Yes!]

And at the same moment the frozen clone selected [Yes]...

A prompt actually sounded again in Jiang Ye's main body's mind—

[Ding!]

[Player Jiang Ye chooses to acknowledge you as master. Do you agree?]

[Yes/No?]

???

Huh huh huh???

Wait wait wait??

Jiang Ye?

Acknowledge me... as master?

Me? Acknowledge me? As master?

This? This isn't right, is it??

Jiang Ye's main body was momentarily stunned.

But only for a moment.

Thinking slightly, he immediately figured it out!!

This "blood-drip acknowledgment" for the 「Formless Leaf」 indeed had a trap!!

Previously, after hearing the announcement...

Almost all players assumed—

That blood-drip acknowledgment for the 「Formless Leaf」 meant the player drips blood on the Formless Leaf, and then the Formless Leaf acknowledges the player as master...

But based on the current situation and these two prompts, it clearly proved—

The so-called "blood-drip acknowledgment"...

Was definitely not the 「Formless Leaf」 acknowledging the player as master!

But the player acknowledging the 「Formless Leaf」 as master!

The 「Formless Leaf」 was the master!

Jiang Ye, because he was both the player dripping blood and simultaneously the 「Formless Leaf」.

So he heard two announcements, so he figured out the key point.

But if other players dripped blood...

They would only hear the [You are about to bind with the Formless Leaf. Do you agree?] announcement!

They would continue to think that selecting [Yes] meant binding with the Formless Leaf, becoming the master of the Formless Leaf!

Little did they know...

After binding with the Formless Leaf, they would instead become slaves of the Formless Leaf!

Oh my god!

If Jiang Ye himself hadn't become a 「Formless Leaf」...

He would definitely denounce the 「Formless Tree」 for being too sinister!

Actually playing such a misleading word game!

But now...

These 「Formless Leaves」 were all Jiang Ye clones!

Then he...

Didn't find it sinister anymore!

Where was the sinister part?

This was simply a blessing!

Presumably, these strong players would be very happy to join the harmonious and wonderful big family!

Thinking this, Jiang Ye's main body naturally made a choice—

[Yes!]

And the moment he selected [Yes].

The「Formless Leaf」where the main body resided actively detached from the 「Formless Tree」...

A black light difficult to see with the naked eye flashed by, and this 「Formless Leaf」 merged into the ice sculpture clone.

And in that instant, the originally stiff and immobile ice sculpture clone...

Before the mysterious strong player had even lifted the ice sculpture effect, actually returned to normal automatically!

Even the severed little finger grew back on its own!

This scene naturally made the strong players present widen their eyes!

Their gazes towards Jiang Ye became fierce and eager!

And Jiang Ye...

He could feel—

The「Formless Leaf」where the main body resided had not disappeared.

But was stored in the heart position of this clone that had bound him.

This feeling was quite similar to the Nesting Inner Demons of the Guiwen clone.

However, because Jiang Ye's clone and Jiang Ye's main body shared the same Jiang Ye consciousness.

He couldn't really feel any other special aspects.

After all, it was now equivalent to the master and the one acknowledging the master being the same person.

So it felt like a clone fusion.

Of course, the「Formless Leaf」as the main body could still leave this clone's body and exist separately.

But he wondered what the effect would be for others who acknowledged a Formless Leaf as master?

As Jiang Ye wondered about this.

He unsurprisingly met the excited and inquiring gazes of the others.

Jiang Ye looked calm and smiled: "It seems..."

"The experiment succeeded."

"I have indeed bound with the Formless Leaf!"

Finally!

All the strong players finally waited for this sentence!

How many experiments had they gone through?

Jiang Wenxing's experiments all failed!

And this mysterious strong player's experiment succeeded on the first try!

Emmm...

By comparison, the other strong players present looked at the mysterious strong player with increasingly solemn and cautious eyes.

And this mysterious strong player also showed joy on his face.

His gaze swept over the strong players present, then looked at the Formless Leaves on the tree.

Finally, he looked back at Jiang Ye and said:

"Since that's the case, then barring accidents, we can officially start the leaf-making operation and leaf-binding operation next!"

"You use your clones to make the Formless Leaves."

"And I will be responsible for binding the Formless Leaves for everyone."

"How about it?"

With these last two words, his gaze swept across the entire area, finally landing on Zhou Yuling.

To be honest, Zhou Yuling was extremely shocked by the mysterious strong player's experimental results!

She previously thought, like Jiang Ye, that this experiment would most likely not succeed.

She never expected that such a simple method would actually succeed!

But for some reason...

Even though everything seemed smooth now.

After the leaf-making and leaf-binding operations, meeting the opening conditions mentioned in the announcement, they could officially convene the court.

But in Zhou Yuling's heart...

That feeling of unease was now growing stronger!

She couldn't help but look at Jiang Ye and tentatively asked:

"You... don't feel like there's something wrong?"