With Lin Jing taking the lead, the players present naturally shifted their accusatory gazes toward Li Ku.

Of course, there were one or two exceptions—Li Si, Du Yuheng.

The eerie cracks beneath Li Ku’s eyebrows, which no longer held eyeballs, inexplicably seemed to look toward Li Si, who also lacked eyes.

It was as if those abyssal fissures and that strip of black cloth exchanged a gaze.

After a moment of silence, these two men began to speak in tandem, answering Lin Jing’s question together.

First, Li Ku said, “Remember the black mist that filled this Blood Pool space earlier, which Wang Lingling absorbed when her Glyph Pattern awakened?”

Then, Li Si added, “And within the World Tree ruins, that same kind of black mist is also present.”

Amidst the shocked looks from the crowd, Li Ku continued, “The Blood Pool in this Blood Pool space is likely a passage connecting to the deepest depths of the World Tree ruins.”

Li Si then stated, “Once upon a time, that Boss from Exile City was able to transplant the entire World Tree, yet he couldn’t move the roots buried deepest underground…”

Li Ku: “That’s precisely why I dare to assert—this Blood Pool space, which connects to the secrets of the World Tree’s roots, cannot be refined by any player. That Moon-Devouring Giant Toad also cannot extend its reach into this space.”

These two men speaking in unison…

Meant the information they revealed was jointly acknowledged by both.

So, the depths of this Blood Pool…

Truly connect to the deepest roots of the World Tree ruins?!

Therefore…

Lin Dong couldn’t help but exclaim in astonishment, “Those two Curse of Despair things actively jumped into the Blood Pool… are they planning to reach the World Tree ruins through the Blood Pool passage?”

“The reason you’re not worried about us being trapped to death in this space is also because… through the Blood Pool, we can directly leave this space and arrive at the World Tree ruins?”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but frown. “But reaching the World Tree ruins via the Blood Pool passage… probably isn’t that easy either, right?”

“And…”

Lin Dong’s gaze shifted back and forth between Li Ku and Li Si.

After a few passes, he declared with certainty:

“I remember you mentioned that abandoned Mental Hospital before, built within the World Tree ruins…”

“And you’re so certain the Blood Pool leads to the World Tree ruins… Did you also get this information from that abandoned Mental Hospital?”

“You two… couldn’t both be from that abandoned Mental Hospital, could you?”

Saying this, Lin Dong felt somewhat uneasy deep down.

After all, the abandoned Mental Hospital was built in Qiankun Land, belonging to the Sun People player faction.

Even if the Sun People players deep within that place upheld the “Sun and Moon Sharing the Same Guilt” theory…

The “Great Unification” in Lin Dong’s heart was a purely Moon People player unification.

If it ultimately had to incorporate Sun People players…

He naturally felt somewhat uncomfortable.

However, if leveraging the power of that so-called Mental Hospital could truly achieve Great Unification more effectively…

Perhaps… it wasn’t completely unacceptable?

After all, the world unified by Qin Shi Huang later also absorbed other ethnic groups…

Lin Dong and the pure Moon People players following him felt hesitant and conflicted.

Jiang Ye was also shocked by this news and inwardly confirmed with Du Yuheng, “This back-and-forth they’re doing… is it true?”

“This Blood Pool space can really lead to the World Tree ruins?”

Du Yuheng had previously agreed to the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye’s deal.

At this point, he no longer concealed anything.

He remained silent for a moment, then provided clear information:

“Whether the mysterious space at the bottom of the Blood Pool and the mysterious space at the deepest part of the World Tree’s roots are the same place, no one can be certain.”

“Because in the information I know, only a few seniors have reached the mysterious space at the Blood Pool’s bottom by breaking through it.”

“As for the path leading downward from the World Tree ruins to the deepest part of the roots… no senior has managed to clear it yet.”

“So, whether they are the same place, I cannot determine for now.”

Jiang Ye simplified his understanding: “So you’re saying…”

“Going down from the Blood Pool bottom, there isn’t a confirmed passage that reaches the World Tree ruins.”

“But at the bottom of the Blood Pool, there indeed exists a mysterious space?”

“That terrifying creature transformed from the Giant Skeleton, and the two Curse of Despair existences just now… they sank into the Blood Pool bottom without hesitation, all to explore that mysterious space?”

“Then, do you know what’s inside that mysterious space?”

Regarding this question, Du Yuheng’s attitude seemed somewhat hesitant.

However, after a moment of silence, he still fulfilled his previous promise to the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye and answered truthfully:

“I haven’t been to that mysterious space, so naturally, I cannot be one hundred percent certain what it is.”

“However… I did obtain a clue from your memories.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ye was directly stunned. “My memories?!”

“So your eye’s investigative ability steals players’ memories?!”

“Did you also get something from my memories when you brought up that question about Reincarnation earlier?”

“And… the memories you mentioned, are they from me, currently interacting with you? Or have you contacted other versions of me?”

This series of questions…

Du Yuheng only remained silent for a moment before answering seriously:

“I have indeed contacted other versions of you. For example, Cheng Lin, Zhou Qiming, the Boss of Exile City…”

“And you can rest assured—the ability you understand as me ‘stealing memories’ comes from the Boss of Exile City.”

“As for that clue about the mysterious space… this current version of you has it in your memories.”

At this point, Du Yuheng deliberately reminded:

“In your memories, near the memory segment where the ‘Jiang Yue’ clone was generated, there exists another memory fragment.”

“From an existence named Salvation, he once showed you an image.”

Du Yuheng’s hint ended here.

Jiang Ye naturally remembered immediately—

During (Chapter 387) when trading with Salvation…

Salvation had actively shown him a picture.

The picture, from a bird’s-eye view, displayed a bizarre Ice Coffin.

The ice-blue material of that coffin resembled ice but wasn’t necessarily ice.

Inside the bizarre Ice Coffin lay what appeared to be a female corpse, with a similarly swollen abdomen.

That female corpse’s appearance wasn’t similar to the Jiang Yue clone.

But the skin on her body was just as pale as the Jiang Yue clone’s.

Also, the belly was similarly swollen…

Back then, Jiang Ye had asked Salvation about the picture’s authenticity and origin.

And Salvation’s answer was—

It was an image he had captured from the Moon Phase Clock at the cost of countless eyes.

And it was only with the Crow’s help that he obtained that picture…

Later, when Salvation arranged for Jiang Ye’s clone to explore the Blood Pool, Jiang Ye had also vaguely hoped to possibly discover that Ice Coffin and the female corpse inside at the Blood Pool’s bottom.

Of course, in the end, his clone failed to probe into the Blood Pool’s depths.

Instead, it was dissolved into blood by the Blood Pool, later becoming a Blood Skin, draped over a Desiccated Corpse to become a special Desiccated Corpse clone…

Right!

This memory clue indeed came from Jiang Ye himself.

Which means…

“The mysterious space at the bottom of the Blood Pool contains an Ice Coffin storing a mysterious female corpse?”

Once this idea emerged, another bold thought suddenly arose in Jiang Ye’s mind.

“Female corpse…”

“Speaking of which, is the ‘Birth of the Moon Infant’ in the announcement really the ‘Moon Infant’ that Chen Cang understood?”

Unfortunately, Du Yuheng still held to that explanation—

“The situation of the Birth of the Moon Infant hasn’t appeared, whether in Deduction Mode or in players’ memories.”

“So, regarding its information, I cannot give you an answer either.”

Instinctively, Jiang Ye believed Du Yuheng’s statement.

However, after a moment of thought, he asked Du Yuheng another question:

“You just said your ability to obtain other players’ memories came from the Boss of Exile City…”

“But why haven’t I gotten any information related to you from the Boss of Exile City’s memories?”

This was also the biggest doubt that arose in the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye’s mind after sharing memories with the Exile City clone.

Although the Exile City clone had indeed provided Jiang Ye with many memories and information…

Jiang Ye always felt something was missing.

Did the memories the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye synchronized seem incomplete?

Or was it…

Sure enough, Du Yuheng directly gave the answer:

“Perhaps it’s because you, or that Boss of Exile City… forgot.”

“You must also find it strange, right? Why I, who am clearly not you and haven’t even bound a Formless Leaf, was granted such an incredibly powerful ability to probe memories by that Boss.”

“Because this ability was something that Boss actively discarded.”

“According to the meaning he vaguely revealed… the more you know, the more mistakes you make.”

“Just like once you learn a language, you can never return to the state of not knowing that language;”

“Just like once you learn to ride a bicycle, you can never return to the state of not knowing how to ride a bicycle;”

“Just like once you possess a certain memory, you can never return to the state of not having that memory…”

“According to the Boss’s meaning… concepts like ‘knowing’ and ‘cognition’ are the most terrifying existences in his mind.”

“So, he chose to return to simplicity, to choose forgetting.”

After explaining this, Du Yuheng hesitated again. “I don’t know if I’ve expressed this clearly.”

“But you should be able to understand.”

Yes, Jiang Ye could understand…

Because once, among the Nomadic Merchant’s talents he had seen, there existed a talent called [Infinite Self-Forgetting]!

Besides, he had also confirmed a most fundamental truth—

The cat Schrödinger placed in the box…

Once the box is opened, it can never return to the unopened state.

So, what Du Yuheng called “knowing” and “cognition”…

Was like that Schrödinger’s cat box that had already been opened.

Also like that dice that had already been rolled, its result determined.

And what the Boss clone of Exile City seemed to pursue was a… dice with an undetermined result?

But can merely forgetting change those already determined outcomes?

However, since the Nomadic Merchant’s [Infinite Self-Forgetting] is presented as an X-tier talent…

Then the ability it possesses probably isn’t just “forgetting.”

Thinking this, Jiang Ye couldn’t help but marvel—

That Boss clone from Exile City seemed more and more like the Nomadic Merchant…

Originally, Jiang Ye had many more questions he wanted to ask Du Yuheng.

But after hearing this explanation, he became less eager to “know.”

Simultaneously, he also felt less urgency to explore the Blood Pool.

And during this brief time he conversed with Du Yuheng…

Li Ku also briefly shared his thoughts—

First, regarding this Blood Pool, Li Ku also didn’t plan to explore it for now.

According to him, they could simply wait for the seniors ahead to scout the path.

If there’s danger in the Blood Pool, the seniors will face it;

If there’s opportunity in the Blood Pool, they probably can’t snatch it from the seniors anyway.

And if those several seniors truly manage to clear the space at the Blood Pool’s bottom…

They could take the ready-made route, passing from the Blood Pool space to the World Tree ruins side.

Of course, Li Ku also didn’t plan to pass through this secret passage from the Blood Pool to the World Tree ruins immediately after the seniors cleared it.

Instead, he considered using this entire secret passage as a stepping stone for the “Great Unification” cause.

After deciding to temporarily not explore the Blood Pool, Li Ku continued to share some of his thoughts regarding the Great Unification cause.

Only this time, what he shared wasn’t the approach, but the core objective.

That is…

What exactly should his envisioned “Great Unification” be like?

This point was also what the pure Moon People players, led by Lin Dong, cared about most.

In Lin Dong’s original conception, Great Unification meant a purely Moon People unification.

No Sun People, nor any impure Moon People.

But the currently known situation was—

Both Li Ku and Li Si were connected to the abandoned Mental Hospital located in Qiankun Land.

Li Si had even revealed that when he was a Sun People player, his eyeballs contained Glyph Pattern abilities.

So, that absolutely pure Great Unification that Lin Dong initially envisioned was probably unattainable.

Then, the consensus that he, Li Ku, and all players willing to fight for the common goal must reach was—

What is the bottom line, the boundary, of the Great Unification they would jointly pursue and build?

What exactly should the world they hope for be like?

And the answer Li Ku gave was:

“First, the bottom line: all players, even those standing at the pinnacle of power, should not have the authority to Erase other players.”

This point served as a reassurance to everyone present.

And this was indeed the situation all Moon People players most desired.

“Second, the bottom line: all players, in terms of ideology, should believe in the same civilization.”

“The reason we can unite for a goal is largely because we come from the same civilization.”

“So the Great Unification we pursue naturally must follow the civilization we come from.”

This statement had been established from the beginning.

What Lin Dong doubted was: “You mean, you’ll exterminate all Sun People players?”

But Li Ku shook his head. “I mean, the main body of the world can only be us Moon People players from the same civilization.”

“But we can tolerate some players willing to submit to our civilization.”

So…

Indeed, it wasn’t a one hundred percent pure Moon People Great Unification…

However, Lin Dong wasn’t too disappointed with this statement, so he didn’t refute it.

Finally, Li Ku stated:

“Under these two bottom lines, I also want to pursue two goals.”

“The first goal is—”

“I hope to eliminate all privileges. So that between players and players, there are only differences in strength, and no longer any so-called ‘privileges’.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep