The little old man casually pinched two fingers and whistled.

The whistle sound was long and distant, as if crossing over from the distant river of time.

And with this deep, clear sound…

The atmosphere throughout the entire giant chessboard suddenly changed!

It was like a clear, sunny sky instantly becoming overcast with dark clouds.

It was an eerie, unsettling feeling, like the calm before a storm.

At the same time, it also resembled…

The strange tranquility when Jiang Ye was trading with the Nomadic Merchant and the Crow was summoned, as if detached from the current dimension!

At this moment, Jiang Ye was completely stunned!

To be precise…

Every pair of eyes present except for the chubby guy and the little old man were completely stunned!

All gazes unconsciously looked toward the distant void.

In the distant darkness, sporadic white dots suddenly appeared, as if tearing through the void, rapidly flying toward them.

The speed was extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, everyone could see clearly…

Those numerous white dots seemed to be a flock of black birds, with white neck feathers resembling funeral garments.

Yes, just those patches of white neck feathers made people think of mourning clothes.

Because the way the flock of birds flew in formation looked strangely like a funeral procession, carrying a corrupt, eerie aura with “death” as its underlying tone.

Just as Jiang Ye, the shadow phantom, and Salvation were watching this dense flock of black birds, shocked to the point of losing their ability to think and speak…

The eerie flock of birds, with a teleportation-like flickering sensation, rapidly approached from the unknown distance and descended onto this giant chessboard.

However, upon complete arrival, the vast funeral procession-like flock of birds instantly transformed into black feathers.

And all those black feathers eventually condensed into a single solid black bird.

On its neck, it also had a patch of strikingly white feathers.

It looked like a dignified, sacred tie.

Mainly because this bird also appeared very dignified and aloof.

It directly landed on the little old man’s casually raised hand.

At this moment, the entire scene fell silent.

Until the little old man casually said:

“Go, Pikachu.”

Then the eerie black bird flew up from the little old man’s hand, casually flapped its wings, making slight rustling sounds.

On its black feathers that also vibrated slightly, faint black patterns seemed to float.

Accompanying this scene…

The stunned shadow phantom suddenly flew up into the air!

Without facial features, no one could discern the shadow phantom’s emotions.

But visibly, the originally solid and clear shadow phantom now swayed like a candle in the wind, its edges slightly blurred!

And throughout the shadow phantom’s body, black patterns rapidly emerged…

They looked very much like the glyph patterns awakened when players mastered the Glyph Pattern Ability.

But these glyph patterns appearing on the shadow phantom covered almost its entire large shadowy body.

It looked very much like…

A black version of the blood-colored patterns on Xu Gou and Yu Mo?

Just as Jiang Ye watched this scene with shock and doubt…

The black patterns within the shadow phantom’s body clearly began to float!

No, rather than “floating”…

It was more like… being extracted?

Yes! Exactly being extracted!

Jiang Ye was all too familiar with this scene!

Because previously, he had also had his Glyph Pattern Ability extracted by the Nomadic Merchant, and had seen the Defenders’ Alliance’s [Raven Feather] extract glyph pattern abilities!

And what was happening now looked very much like—

The shadow phantom’s glyph pattern ability was being forcibly extracted by that black bird circling above it!

And as those glyph patterns were pulled out…

Beneath the shadow phantom’s levitating body, twelve pools emerged!

This time, there was no need to throw hair into the pools…

The little old man waved his hand and directly scattered the glyph patterns extracted from the shadow phantom’s body into those twelve pools!

In an instant, numerous mist monsters emerged from those twelve pools!

When these things emerged, they instinctively flew toward Jiang Ye, who was mutating and had become a “blood person.”

However, before they could reach him, the little old man casually waved his hand again and said softly, “Not so fast.”

Then he looked at the chubby guy and said calmly, “Should be about time to start, right?”

The chubby guy also appeared quite calm.

But when his peripheral glance swept over the black bird in the sky, complex emotions seemed to flash in his eyes.

He casually raised his hand, and the giant three-legged cauldron he had summoned also rose into the air, spinning rapidly at high altitude as if forming a vortex in the air above it!

Next, the little old man waved his hand grandly, as if using an invisible great force to guide the large group of mist monsters he had forcibly stopped into the rotating three-legged cauldron.

The mist monsters were drawn into the giant cauldron at extremely fast speed.

But Jiang Ye vaguely saw—

Before those mist monsters entered the giant cauldron, they also seemed to transform into black patterns!

In the blink of an eye, the entire levitating, rotating giant cauldron burst into soaring flames.

And on the cauldron’s surface, flowing light-like patterns emerged.

Clearly, this little old man and little fatty were actually forcibly refining monsters!

Jiang Ye’s observing clone that wasn’t mutated, taking advantage of these two big shots focusing on the giant cauldron, mustered courage to secretly cast [True Sight Eye] at the black bird high in the sky…

This proved his courage was truly remarkable!

The moment [True Sight Eye] was cast, he faintly felt—

That majestic, superior-like black bird…

Its pair of deep black round eyes seemed to glance in his direction, utterly casually!

A very brief moment…

But Jiang Ye felt his whole body stiffen, as if locked by death!

And in that instant, his [True Sight Eye] showed him a line of text:

[Blackened Funeral Crow]

[Ominous divine bird, symbol of death.]

Jiang Ye quickly averted his gaze, as if that glance was just accidental.

He wasn’t surprised that this black bird was also a crow.

After all, its appearance wasn’t much different from the Crow’s.

The most obvious difference was that patch of dignified, solemn white neck feathers, and the faintly visible eerie dark patterns on its black feathers.

What truly surprised him was—

The description of this “Funeral Crow” was preceded by the words “Blackened”!

So this was the legendary source of Blackened Crow Blood—a blackened crow!

Blackened crows were even rarer and harder to find than ordinary crows.

And this Guiwen Grandmaster actually possessed a Blackened Funeral Crow!

Then using this Blackened Funeral Crow’s blood, wouldn’t it directly bring misfortune to people?

The moment the thought “Blackened Funeral Crow blood” flashed through Jiang Ye’s mind…

He felt that death-lock stiffness sensation return!

Even…

That lofty black bird suddenly let out a “caw” sound…

Holy shit? This cry was truly awful…

Even worse than the most unpleasant duck voice he’d ever heard—rougher, coarser, hoarser, more scalp-tingling than “grating and hard to listen to”!

Compared to the Crow’s previous “caw caw” sounds, it was like heaven versus abyss…

Wait!

Stop!

Jiang Ye suddenly felt his scalp tingle and neck chill, quickly suppressing all thoughts emerging in his mind.

He even deliberately conjured thoughts about how beautiful and dignified this Funeral Crow was…

However, that death-lock stiffness sensation never faded away.

As if he was already a dead man, absolutely doomed…

The subtle eye exchanges between this person and bird didn’t seem to attract others’ attention.

The flames on the giant three-legged cauldron had now dyed the entire sky above the giant chessboard red.

Even Lin Jing and others exploring within the black ice domain were startled by this peculiar “celestial phenomenon” of flames covering the sky…

Meanwhile, Lin Ling, who had been expelled from the chessboard as “extraneous personnel,” was currently at Apartment 9999 with Jiang Ye’s Clone No. 2, learning details about his “amnesiac clone” and triggering the hidden “Safe Exit.”

Clone No. 2 Jiang Ye appeared normal, talking confidently with Lin Ling, completely unaffected by what his chessboard clone was seeing and hearing.

But Lin Ling…

When flames covered the sky above the giant chessboard, she noticeably paused, even her eyelids twitching slightly!

Clone No. 2 Jiang Ye seized the chance to probe pretentiously: “What’s wrong? Is there a problem with what I said?”

Lin Ling pressed her lips tightly, looking at him with unprecedented complexity in her eyes.

Jiang Ye felt his scalp tingle from her gaze, taking a small step back with exaggerated expression:

“What? Big sister? What does that look mean?”

“If there’s a problem, just say it directly! I’m quite reasonable!”

“……”

Lin Ling remained silent for a moment, her tone equally complex: “You don’t know about your clone’s mutation?”

Jiang Ye looked curious, even showing appropriately measured concern: “Clone mutation? What about my clone’s mutation? What happened?”

“Even if something happened, it shouldn’t be a big deal. After all, it was just a clone I dedicated for experiments. Even if the experiment fails, I’m mentally prepared.”

His tone made Lin Ling’s mouth twitch again.

In fact, Lin Ling seemed rather unwell, taking a deep, heavy breath.

Jiang Ye asked with special concern: “What’s really wrong? Do you need quick-acting heart relief pills?”

“……”

Lin Ling’s slow deep breath almost choked her because of Jiang Ye’s words!

She struggled to exhale, forcing a stiff smile, her voice even stiffer:

“If you could cooperate and let me slap you flying…”

“I imagine it would be more effective than any ‘quick-acting heart relief pills’ :D.”

Jiang Ye thought about it and said seriously:

“Well, if it’s fake being slapped flying, and the payment is substantial… it might be possible. After all, I’m quite understanding :)”

Lin Ling said woodenly: “Understand your mother!”

“……”

She exhaled again, closed her eyes, and said deeply:

“Do I have to become your appearance?”

When it came to serious matters, Jiang Ye also became serious:

“Well, for safety’s sake.”

“You’ve learned how to conduct experiments when studying, right?”

“Those experiments that perfectly replicate successful cases one-to-one naturally have higher success rates.”

He sounded quite reasonable and confident.

However, Lin Ling glanced at him sideways, her voice cool:

“One-to-one perfect replication of successful cases?”

“But is what you’re describing to me really 100% true, without any lies mixed in?”

She narrowed her eyes slightly and said directly: “What about [Mask of Deceit]? Wear it and describe everything again, then I’ll believe you.”

She said this as if it were perfectly natural.

Yet it clearly contained probing.

After all, [Mask of Deceit] was initially given to Administrator 4444.

If Jiang Ye naturally took it out now, wouldn’t that precisely indicate he and Administrator 4444 were inseparable?

Jiang Ye was used to being tested and had grown eight hundred schemes by now.

Plus, he was telling the truth:

“[Mask of Deceit] really isn’t with me.”

“Administrator 4444 takes [Court of Disorder] quite seriously, so he gave many items to the clone entering the court.”

“Right now, I’m practically penniless.”

“But if Sister Lin can produce another [Mask of Deceit], I wouldn’t mind using it to prove myself.”

Jiang Ye said this casually.

Because after obtaining the Mask Master’s clone, he knew clearly—Lin Ling definitely couldn’t produce a second [Mask of Deceit]!

However, what he didn’t expect was…

While Lin Ling couldn’t produce [Mask of Deceit]…

She instead produced an ancient teacup with a flip of her hand.

The cup contained half a serving of fragrant tea, still steaming.

“This is specially used for lie detection—Clear Conscience Tea…”

“If I offer you tea, after drinking it you must answer three questions truthfully without lying, or be erased by the rules directly.”

??

Jiang Ye looked puzzled: “What? Why should I obediently answer three questions? What if you ask about my privacy?”

Lin Ling naturally knew he wouldn’t agree to such an outrageous request.

But instantly, another half serving of fragrant tea appeared in her other hand.

“In exchange, I can also accept your tea offering and answer three questions.”

Hey?

This trade…

Honestly, Jiang Ye was somewhat tempted.

Mainly because he desperately wanted to obtain important information from Lin Ling!

Like the Three Life Stone Staff, secrets of the black ice domain and chessboard;

Or the milky-white gas, even the deeply hidden secrets of the entire Defenders’ Alliance…

Of course, more importantly, he could directly ask about information related to [Court of Disorder]!

Since it concerned his main body, the more information the better!

He might even directly ask about exclusive instance questions regarding his main body?

In short, if these three questions were asked well, he could obtain extremely valuable information!

Of course, the drawbacks of this trade were also obvious…

Lin Ling could also ask him three questions.

Even if he used clone sacrifice to bear the erasure effect, Lin Ling probably wouldn’t let it go…

However, in terms of information exchange, Jiang Ye actually had the advantage.

Because most likely, the questions Lin Ling asked him were things he himself didn’t know!

Like asking about his relationship with the Nomadic Merchant?

Why his blood was special?

Various questions he himself didn’t know…

Not knowing meant not knowing—answering truthfully definitely wouldn’t count as lying!

So, should he gamble that Lin Ling’s question-asking skills weren’t as good as his?

Just as Jiang Ye was tempted, he suddenly realized—

Lin Ling could use the same technique to avoid his questions!

Like when he used [Mask of Deceit] on Zhou Qiming before, that guy was in amnesiac state.

Based on the memories he retained, he truly didn’t lie.

If Lin Ling also played this set, using some method to temporarily block memories…

No matter what questions Jiang Ye asked, she could just answer “don’t know”?

“Don’t worry, any questions answered with ‘don’t know’ or ‘unsure’ won’t count toward the three-question limit of Clear Conscience Tea.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep