It was also because of that "Black Mist" isolation.

The Jiang Ye clone within the Black Mist at the "World Tree" ruins in Qiankun Land also did not sense the ten thousand Puppet Clones hovering above the Sun and Moon Tower in Qiankun Land, which were sensed by the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye...

In short, to sum it all up, this wave of "video" created using the 【Target Anchor】 allowed both versions of Jiang Ye to share a massive amount of information.

The Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye directly received a large amount of information about Exile City and about the Boss Clone's development over many years in this era.

Meanwhile, the lab rat clone at the abandoned mental hospital also instantly grasped some crucial information—

First, that batch of clones from the black ice domain had finally also descended into this era;

Second, for some unknown reason, ten thousand Puppet Clones were currently stored above the Sun and Moon Tower in Qiankun Land;

Then, there was news about Chen Cang, about Zhou Qiming, about Du Yuheng, and about the Giant Skeleton at the Blood Pool and Forest of Flesh...

This information also carried considerable weight for the lab rat clone.

Especially that Giant Skeleton, or rather... the resurrected bizarre entity.

And the potential connection between this entity and the coded phrase "The martyr's skeleton, in the abyss, glows like a stele."

If the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye guessed correctly...

There was indeed a very high probability that immediately following this coded phrase...

Was the 【Court of Disorder】 that the Pseudo-Main Body, Jiang Ye #0, was about to experience!

The Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye was now all alone.

Even if he guessed that the Pseudo-Main Body's 【Court of Disorder】 might formally commence its Court Session after the Giant Skeleton's "resurrection"...

With just the strength of a single clone, he truly didn't know how he could help the Pseudo-Main Body.

But now, if this news could be transmitted to Exile City, mobilizing the much larger clone army...

Then perhaps they could genuinely help the Pseudo-Main Body.

However, there was still one problem at hand—

These two clones had indeed shared information.

But that was all!

The Cheng Lin-version clone was located within the Misty Forest of Oddities dungeon space.

The lab rat-version clone was located within the Black Mist of the abandoned mental hospital.

In essence, both clones were in a state of disconnection from the other clones.

So this wave of information sharing was only between these two clones.

It had not yet been passed on to the clone army and the clone Boss in Exile City.

Moreover...

The lab rat clone had been inside the abandoned mental hospital acting as a test subject for some time now.

During this period, he had also been disconnected from the other clones.

So, during the time the lab rat clone was disconnected, the clones within Exile City might have undergone further developments.

For example...

Jiang Ye strongly suspected that the Boss Clone should already know about the descent of that batch of clones from the black ice domain.

However, the Boss Clone didn't seem to have taken any action specifically targeting these newly arrived clones.

Of course, action might have been taken, but that action just hadn't yet reached this Cheng Lin-version clone.

After all, the other new clones had most likely, based on their own Authority identities within the initial Prison, each found a "Hidden Prison Room" suited to their Authority identity.

Then they dispersed into different prisons.

And while those various prisons weren't as strictly under the control of Jiang Ye's clones as Exile City was, they were still basically under the Boss Clone's control.

In fact, those clones should even be able to find an opportunity to contact the Boss Clone at zero o’clock.

So...

According to Jiang Ye's speculation, this batch of new clones should have been gradually joining the embrace of Exile City's clone army.

It was only this Cheng Lin-version clone of his, who took an unconventional path, that was still drifting outside...

And presumably, only this clone of his knew about the matter of the ten thousand Puppet Clones at the Sun and Moon Tower in Qiankun Land.

Thinking this, Jiang Ye even considered whether he should go to Exile City sooner.

By simply binding a single 「Formless Leaf」, he could use clone skills, making future actions much more convenient.

However, based on the information synchronized from the lab rat clone...

He actually didn't need to personally go to Exile City to find a way to obtain a 「Formless Leaf」.

Furthermore, the information synchronized with the lab rat clone wasn't something that couldn't be quickly transmitted back to Exile City.

After all, the Boss Clone's willingness to hand over discarded clones as lab rats to Chen Ji for research came with many demands of its own.

It wasn't just about allowing some clones to go explore the "World Tree" ruins.

Chen Ji's research process and results also had to be completely transparently presented to the Boss Clone.

Jiang Ye had long wanted to properly research himself.

So in essence, he had outsourced this research work to Chen Ji.

During Chen Ji's research process, Jiang Ye retained a certain degree of power to intervene.

For that lab rat clone to suddenly request a meeting with the Boss Clone wasn't completely impossible.

And so, in the instant of their video call, the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye and the lab rat-version Jiang Ye synchronized a massive amount of information and planned their next steps.

However, the video call on the lab rat's side was conducted under Chen Ji's surveillance.

So, right in front of Chen Ji, Jiang Ye couldn't possibly just have a video call with the lab rat and say nothing before hanging up.

Therefore, to deal with Chen Ji, the two versions of Jiang Ye put on an act and had a video call.

The content of the call also fit their respective personas.

In short, from Chen Ji's perspective, "Cheng Lin" asked "Jiang Ye" some questions about the Exile City Lord.

Then "Cheng Lin" told "Jiang Ye" that he had some matters he wanted to report privately to the Exile City Lord.

And "Jiang Ye" stated that within his current environment, he had no way to directly report messages to the City Lord.

So this matter required Chen Ji's approval.

Thus, the video call between the two was paused, and the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye sent another message to Chen Ji:

【You saw our video call over there at the abandoned mental hospital, right?】

【I have something I want to report to the Exile City Lord. You should be able to arrange a video call with the City Lord for me, right?】

After sending this message, Chen Ji replied directly:

【If you have something to report, you can go directly to Exile City. Or find any prison and wait until zero o’clock; you'll naturally have a chance to meet the Exile City Lord.】

Jiang Ye was prepared and replied directly: 【It's urgent, I can't wait until zero o’clock. I also have matters keeping me busy right now and can't go to Exile City for the time being.】

However, Chen Ji continued to question: 【I heard from Li Si that the eyeball you detached can also project images.】

【That is to say, you yourself are someone marked by the Exile City Lord.】

【In that case, why didn't your City Lord leave you a way to contact him, like a Target Anchor crystal chip, or some other communication tool?】

Jiang Ye knew this Chen Ji wasn't easy to fool and wouldn't readily agree to requests.

He probably wanted to pry more information from him.

But for Jiang Ye, that was fine too.

The information he revealed would be a mix of truth and falsehood; the other party wouldn't necessarily believe it all.

So, he casually explained: 【Didn't you ask me before if I'd heard of the "Moon Phase Clock"?】

【Then you already had some certainty about my identity. And you probably have some guesses about my situation.】

【Since that's the case, I have nothing more to hide—】

【The mark the Exile City Lord placed on me wasn't planted in this era. It was planted before I descended into this era.】

【So after descending into this era, I don't have contact information for the Exile City Lord and haven't had any contact with the City Lord yet.】

This explanation was reasonable and logical.

Over at the abandoned mental hospital, Chen Ji hadn't expected him to be so blunt, and the content he mentioned indeed matched Chen Ji's own guesses quite closely...

Chen Ji had long suspected that the Exile City Lord was probably not a native player of this era.

And now, from "Cheng Lin," this point was basically confirmed.

Chen Ji fell into a strange silence for a moment before replying:

【According to convention, that Exile City Lord usually only appears during the time period close to zero o’clock.】

【So I'm afraid even if I wanted to help you, I'd be powerless.】

Jiang Ye, of course, knew this too, but he didn't necessarily need to contact the Exile City Lord clone specifically.

Any clone located in Exile City would do.

After all, consciousness was shared among clones.

However, he certainly couldn't say this to Chen Ji.

So, he deliberately put on a troubled expression and still insisted:

"Regardless, I still hope you can help me report to Exile City, so I can also find the organization."

Chen Ji fell silent again for a moment, then gave an affirmative answer: 【Alright, I'll do my best to try for you.】

Based on the memories synchronized from the lab rat clone, Jiang Ye knew that Chen Ji, although considered a madman by other Sun People players and practically "imprisoned" in the abandoned mental hospital, usually had a relatively mild attitude in his dealings.

Not just with his friend Li Si, but with any casual acquaintance, as long as the request wasn't particularly excessive, he generally wouldn't refuse.

So this answer from him wasn't unexpected for Jiang Ye.

However, Chen Ji then asked another question:

【Is the urgent message you need to report related to the "Birth of the Moon Infant"?】

Jiang Ye wasn't reporting a message; he was synchronizing information.

So he wasn't afraid to answer Chen Ji's question.

After a moment of silence, he deliberately asked in return: 【You, sir, conducting research in the isolated World Tree ruins of Qiankun Land, are you also familiar with the "Moon Infant"?】

Chen Ji suddenly laughed and replied: 【I was the one trying to get information from you, but you're good, turning the tables and asking me for information instead.】

After this line, he also gave a simple answer:

【The announcement of the "Birth of the Moon Infant" has already resounded throughout all of Qiankun Land.】

【Such a major event has almost triggered an unprecedented storm across the entire Qiankun Land.】

【I don't know much about the Moon Infant either, but I have many connections, maintain friendships with some old acquaintances, and often keep in touch.】

【From a few of these old acquaintances, I've heard that among the top players in Qiankun Land, there seems to be a saying circulating that "the Birth of the Moon Infant is the Calamity of Qiankun."】

【So I thought, since the Birth of the Moon Infant is the Calamity of Qiankun... then the Land of Exile, which stands in opposition to Qiankun Land, probably wouldn't miss this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.】

Indeed, at this time node, for Jiang Ye to say he had something to report to the Exile City Lord sounded too much like he was specifically reporting information related to the Moon Infant.

It was fine if Chen Ji misunderstood this way; it saved Jiang Ye the trouble of fabricating other explanations.

On Jiang Ye's side, he waited for a while.

Chen Ji sent him another message:

【I managed to get contact information for a Moon Person from Exile City for you, still a Target Anchor crystal chip. I'm sending it to you now.】

Jiang Ye politely said: 【Thanks.】

And so, the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye received another 【Target Anchor】 crystal chip.

This time, the avatar on the chip wasn't Jiang Ye.

However, after initiating the video call, the mutual sensing between clones once again confirmed each other's identities.

In an instant, consciousness and memories were synchronized once more.

And the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye's guess was indeed correct—

A significant portion of that batch of clones from the black ice domain had already joined the clone army of Exile City.

However, there were still several clones like the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye who were drifting outside.

Originally, the clone army in Exile City had already been organizing tasks to recruit the clones.

But the sudden "Birth of the Moon Infant" somewhat disrupted the rhythm of recruiting clones.

And the Cheng Lin-version clone actively finding the organization was a pleasant surprise for the clone army.

First, they gained more detailed understanding about the Birth of the Moon Infant.

Second, the information related to Chen Cang also needed focused attention.

Then, the terrifying entity at the Blood Pool, corresponding to the "martyr's skeleton" coded phrase, also deserved attention.

Of course, the most critical point was that the Pseudo-Main Body might be experiencing the Court Session of the 【Court of Disorder】...

This information itself was already valuable enough.

More importantly—

Cheng Lin's 【Salvation】 talent might indeed have something special about it.

Jiang Ye, with his shared consciousness, instantly decided that he must properly value this "Cheng Lin" clone, directly placing it into the T1-level clone sequence.

Oh, right. As Jiang Ye's clones in this era grew more and more numerous, to the point that an entire Exile City could be considered his clones, Jiang Ye had implemented a more standardized classification system for his clones in this era.

First, T0-level clones were the most important clones.

Clones of this level didn't need to perform any tasks; their very existence was their purpose.

T1-level clones were clones that possessed a special ability, special authority, or special identity...

Their specialness made them particularly important.

Clones of this level also couldn't afford to have anything happen to them.

Beyond these, there were T2, T3, T4, T5, and TX clones.

Among them, the lab rat clone given to Chen Ji for research was a T5 clone.

Clones that had bound a 「Formless Leaf」 but still retained their self-consciousness were TX clones.

Using a complete body as an analogy, T0 clones were like the brain, the heart—the most vital, critical parts of the entire body.

T1 clones were equivalent to vital organs like the five viscera and six bowels.

T5 clones were equivalent to hair—it falls out naturally even if you do nothing with it...

TX clones were like the clothes, accessories, and other external items of this body.