The mysterious strong player naturally wouldn't answer this malicious question.

The expression on his gentle-featured face changed repeatedly.

After a moment of silence, he still didn't speak.

Suddenly, he clenched the Permission Iron Piece in his left hand while sharply raising his right hand.

An Ice Crystal Tear Drop instantly shot out from between his fingers.

In the blink of an eye, it changed direction and flew back toward him.

Within moments, the mysterious strong player was frozen into an Ice Sculpture.

Zhou Yuling watched this scene with inner shock.

Before she could even process her thoughts, she saw the next second that the freshly frozen mysterious strong player suddenly exploded!

Every piece of his body turned into a tiny teardrop-shaped crystal, densely packed, shooting out in all directions.

Zhou Yuling, being cautious, instinctively dodged the wildly flying Ice Crystal Tear Drops.

Yet what astonished her was—

The densely packed Ice Crystal Tear Drops didn't fly far in all directions.

After flying only about one or two meters...

It was as if time reversed—the scene rapidly rewound—

The flying ice droplets retraced their original paths, reforming into the mysterious strong player's Ice Sculpture body...

The Ice Sculpture body was already stiff enough, but seemed to stiffen further for a moment.

After a moment, the freezing effect on the Ice Sculpture body automatically lifted, restoring the mysterious strong player to his original appearance.

His expression after recovery was even more solemn than before.

Immediately after, his gaze returned to the sky above.

At that moment, Jiang Ye was equally shocked internally.

From the mysterious strong player's behavior, he could easily deduce—

This guy's sudden action was likely an attempt to use the Ice Crystal Tear Drop for something.

However, due to the Time-Stop Prison's characteristics, his intended action clearly didn't succeed.

Yet, even though it failed...

The Ice Crystal Tear Drop was evidently extraordinary enough.

After all, strictly following the Time-Stop Prison's characteristics...

The mysterious strong player's Ice Sculpture body shouldn't have experienced that "explosion" scene.

Although he ultimately didn't completely "explode."

Visibly, he still "exploded" for a full half-second.

Only after half a second did everything return to normal as if time reversed.

Just this point alone was enough to show the Ice Crystal Tear Drop's heaven-defying nature—

It could actually steal half a second of time within the Time-Stop Prison!

Beyond that, what made Jiang Ye even more suspicious and uncertain was—

Based on the mysterious strong player's recent behavior...

He clearly could remove the freezing effect himself while frozen!

Yet not long ago, he deliberately pretended he couldn't thaw on his own after freezing, borrowing Jiang Ye's Clone Replica Mirror...

Of course, his fundamental reason for using the mirrored clone was to have the mirrored clone bear the "Erasure" effect for him.

But Jiang Ye still couldn't help feeling suspicious—

The "Wu Ce" identity information he saw from the mirrored clone.

Could it have been intentionally revealed to him by this mysterious strong player?

Maybe true, maybe false, maybe a mix of both...

Jiang Ye engaged in careful contemplation internally.

Meanwhile, the mysterious strong player in the prison finally looked up toward the sky and spoke:

"Although I can't bind the Permission Iron Piece here."

"But if I'm not mistaken..."

"You can't kill me here either."

Indeed.

Worthy of being a strong player.

This guy's brain works quite cleverly.

According to the Time-Stop Prison's characteristics, Jiang Ye could only trap the mysterious strong player here, equally unable to harm him.

However, Jiang Ye had already made plans internally.

The cutting, burning pain in his left shoulder was gradually fading at this moment.

His tone now showed gentleness again, meaningful as he said:

"Senior, are you called 'Wu Ce'? You haven't answered my earlier question yet—"

"Guess, will I let you out?"

Earlier, Jiang Ye's tone had been deliberately malicious.

The mysterious strong player instinctively felt this was just provocation.

But now, being reminded again, he carefully contemplated it internally.

As his eyes shifted, they suddenly focused determinedly.

His gaze firmly settled on a certain point in the air as he tentatively said: "You will let me out?"

Questioning tone, yet carrying some certainty.

Otherwise, if the intention was to trap him here to death, there would be no need to bring Zhou Yuling in too.

Jiang Ye smiled slightly, answering sincerely:

"Of course. After all, our transaction isn't completed yet, so of course I'm going to let you out :)"

The mysterious strong player pondered for a moment, then said directly: "So, conditions?"

Jiang Ye wore an offended expression, his tone righteous:

"What conditions? Are you implying I'm taking advantage of the situation?!"

"What joke! Am I the kind of person who would take advantage of others' misfortune?!"

"..." The mysterious strong player didn't respond.

Zhou Yuling thought: You absolutely are!

"Ahem." Jiang Ye lightly coughed, then said seriously:

"Of course I want to let you both out, but this prison essentially doesn't belong to me."

"I don't know how to get out from inside either."

"However..."

He paused, then said meaningfully:

"You two probably already guessed basically."

"I have a clone ability called—[Clone Swapping]."

"I can use [Clone Swapping] to swap you out of this prison."

"When Jiang Wenxing tried to deal with me earlier, I also used the [Clone Swapping] ability to hide in this prison."

Zhou Yuling listened with inner astonishment, though she didn't doubt it.

She was just curious about where this prison was located and what relationship it had with Jiang Ye?

Even if he could enter and exit the prison through [Clone Swapping].

How did the very first clone enter the prison?

Without the first clone entering through other means, [Clone Swapping] naturally couldn't be achieved.

Prison...

Court...

Could this magical prison be related to the Court of Disorder?

Zhou Yuling had noticed earlier Jiang Ye's emphasis on the Court of Disorder.

He could even pay 100,000 survival points himself to explore the [Court of Disorder] early.

Including everything involving exploring the [Court of Disorder], he showed considerable importance.

If it was just to help her clear the court...

Then his emphasis was too unreasonable.

So...

This kid entering the Court of Disorder definitely had other purposes?!

Simultaneously, Zhou Yuling was once again shocked by the heaven-defying nature of Jiang Ye's clone ability.

His clone ability could treat replicated identities under [Guiwen Parasitism] effects as clones, which was one thing...

But the priority level of this [Clone Swapping] was so incredibly high!

The existence in this prison couldn't even be detected by Jiang Wenxing, who couldn't grab people remotely from the prison.

Yet Jiang Ye could perform clone swapping with the existence in this prison...

Zhou Yuling was initially just shocked.

However, upon further reflection, she instantly detected logical inconsistencies.

And what she thought of, the mysterious strong player naturally thought of too.

The other party directly questioned toward the sky:

"I certainly believe you have the [Clone Swapping] ability."

"But you mean—even Jiang Wenxing can't detect the existence of this unique prison space. Yet your [Clone Swapping] can easily travel back and forth here?"

"If it's truly as you say..."

"Then, according to ability priority settings—"

"Your clone swapping ability should also surpass Jiang Wenxing's displacement ability."

"Then, your clone swapping ability should directly allow your clone in the 「Formless Domain」 to swap with clones outside, right?"

Jiang Ye naturally understood the mysterious strong player's doubts.

The third condition of his transaction with the mysterious strong player was for the other to help send his clone out.

This indicated his clone swapping ability couldn't send clones out.

Then logically speaking—

His clone swapping ability should be inferior to Jiang Wenxing's displacement ability.

If so, how could his clone swapping ability travel back and forth to this special prison that even Jiang Wenxing hadn't detected?

This logic didn't hold.

However, Jiang Ye had already prepared an explanation.

Of course, it wasn't a lie either.

He truthfully explained:

"My clone swapping certainly couldn't travel to and from the prison from the start."

"I'm not afraid to tell you—"

"Initially, I had a clone trapped to death in the prison."

"Only after the Formless Tree absorbed my blood and generated a new Formless Leaf could my trapped clone in the prison perform clone swapping with the Formless Leaf."

—He certainly wouldn't reveal the "main body" situation, so he consistently used "clone" to generalize.

This explanation attributed the illogical clone swapping ability to the Formless Leaf.

And the mysterious strong player was extremely intelligent.

Just hearing this explanation, his face instantly turned grim.

"You're not going to say..."

"That I need to acknowledge mastery of the Formless Leaf for you to release me?"

This is even worse than taking advantage of the situation and making other excessive demands!

Ahem.

Jiang Ye certainly hoped this guy would acknowledge mastery of the Formless Leaf.

Or through other persuasion tactics, trick him into becoming his clone.

However, even without thinking, one could guess.

This mysterious strong player wouldn't agree to such an outrageous demand.

So Jiang Ye sighed:

"I knew you wouldn't agree."

"But I do have another feasible alternative here."

The mysterious strong player wasn't very inclined to respond at this moment.

Because he could imagine Jiang Ye's feasible alternative would inevitably contain traps!

This guy still claims he's not someone who takes advantage of others' misfortune...

But honestly, the mysterious strong player would rather he take advantage openly and make some demands.

After all, those overt demands are more reassuring than hidden traps.

But Jiang Ye explicitly refused other demands.

That clearly meant he wanted him to jump into a trap!

The mysterious strong player felt irritable and heavy-hearted, but ultimately asked: "What feasible alternative?"

Jiang Ye smiled slightly:

"Since the identity information you showed me included [Apartment Boss] and [Equipment Master]..."

"Then you yourself should know Rune Grandmaster Lin Ling?"

Upon hearing this, the mysterious strong player's expression shifted slightly.

Zhou Yuling was a beat slower, her mind buzzing with shock.

What did this mean?

Apartment Boss? Equipment Master?

These two permission identities referred to this mysterious strong player?!

How was that possible?!

How could one person simultaneously possess two permission identities?!

No.

Actually... it might not be impossible!

Wasn't this Jiang Ye using clone abilities to simultaneously possess multiple permission identities?

So perhaps this mysterious strong player could too?

Thinking this, Zhou Yuling suddenly remembered—

Her earlier guesses about the mysterious strong player's possible identity.

She had guessed "Wang Cheng" sent by the Card Grandmaster, and also guessed "Chen Ji," the Researcher from the Defenders' Alliance...

But now thinking about it, who could say these two weren't the same person?

The mysterious strong player's identity information should have been obtained by Jiang Ye through the mirrored clone not long ago.

Now he was proactively revealing it to the mysterious strong player because he suspected the identity's authenticity?

But why was he mentioning Lin Ling now?

While Zhou Yuling was repeatedly contemplating internally.

The mysterious strong player slightly nodded, admitting he knew Lin Ling.

Jiang Ye continued smiling: "In that case, you should know—Lin Ling has a talisman that can immobilize people into mini Small Wooden Dolls."

"Those Small Wooden Dolls are like pure items that can be stored in space."

Hearing this, the mysterious strong player's expression shifted: "You mean..."

Jiang Ye nodded, continuing:

"I guess with your strength, you wouldn't be easily immobilized by talismans."

"However, if you could be immobilized by the talisman, then you could leave this prison in Small Wooden Doll state."

The mysterious strong player had guessed Jiang Ye's idea when he mentioned Small Wooden Dolls.

Now hearing him say it, he couldn't help but question:

"This prison's situation is special, all methods seem unusable..."

"Are you sure Lin Ling's talisman can immobilize me into a mini Small Wooden Doll in this prison?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yuling also thought it unlikely.

Honestly, Jiang Ye wasn't sure either.

But that was fine.

He smiled: "We can just try it and see."

"If it doesn't work, we'll think of other methods."

"If it works, you can leave the prison in doll form."

Then he said to Zhou Yuling:

"Lin Ling didn't teach me how to remove the talisman and lift the doll effect."

"But you should be able to remove the talisman and lift the doll effect too, right?"

Zhou Yuling hesitated a moment, then nodded.

After all, she worked under Lin Ling, so of course she could handle such small matters.

Previously, when using the talisman to seal Jiang Ye Clone 1 and bring him into the mist carriage, she was also the one who lifted Jiang Ye's doll effect.

With this confirmed, Jiang Ye said to the mysterious strong player:

"So? Do you want to try this feasible alternative?"

The mysterious strong player felt internally that Jiang Ye's feasible alternative definitely contained traps.

After all, sealing him into a doll would give Jiang Ye too much room for manipulation!

However, the mysterious strong player knew a bit about Lin Ling's special immobilizing talisman.

It could indeed immobilize people but wouldn't harm them.

As for Jiang Ye immobilizing him into a doll, then doing something to the doll or stealing the Ice Crystal Tear Drop from the doll—these were clearly impossible.

The main point was—

The mysterious strong player thought that even the Ice Crystal Tear Drop couldn't operate in this special prison.

Then Lin Ling's talisman would most likely not take effect either.

After some consideration.

He regained his strong player demeanor, calmly saying to Zhou Yuling:

"Fine. I won't resist, you can try the talisman."

Zhou Yuling wasn't surprised by his choice.

Honestly, like the mysterious strong player, she thought Lin Ling's talisman wouldn't take effect in this prison either.

But if Jiang Ye said to try, then they might as well try.

Zhou Yuling didn't say much, taking out a black talisman.

Her expression calm, she casually threw the talisman toward the mysterious strong player's direction...

The entire action was smooth and continuous.

So much so that even the perceptive mysterious strong player didn't notice...

That Zhou Yuling who threw the talisman at him.

Was no longer the real Zhou Yuling!