What the hell? You're waiting for me here??

I just bound the Formless Leaf and got the skill Self-Immolation Moment...

I haven't even had time to properly feel it out myself yet.

And now I'm supposed to "self-immolate" for you??

Is there anything this absurd in the world?!

Jiang Ye was extremely displeased inside.

He wanted to say, shouldn't this mysterious voice try to "visit my humble cottage three times" again?

Or at the very least, offer some more concrete benefits, right?

However, there was nothing.

That mysterious voice only spoke those few sentences before falling silent, giving him no chance to bargain at all.

And this attitude clearly placed the choice entirely in his hands.

It even seemed quite confident about his choice.

What the hell? Where does this confidence come from??

Deep down, Jiang Ye couldn't determine at all what the final outcome would be if he used the Self-Immolation Moment of the Formless Leaf to help that Fire Snake burn...

Also, would the promise made by the mysterious voice about the Fire Seed being given to him actually be fulfilled?

Furthermore, even if it was fulfilled, what exactly would that "Fire Seed" do for him?

Could it form those "Iron Chains" that restrained the Moon Phase Clock?

Or could it bring him some other benefits?

All of these were unknowns.

And yet, he had to bear all these unknowns and make a choice.

Let's just say, if this weren't a T0-level clone comparable to his pseudo-main body, Jiang Ye would have just burned it.

But the announcement voice he heard when binding the Formless Leaf made him basically certain—

This clone, whose physical body level had been upgraded, had already reached a level among all his clones similar to the pseudo-main body that first descended into the Doomsday Apartment.

Such a precious clone was equivalent to the "main body" he previously understood! The "main body" he valued most!

How could he bear to let his own "main body" take such risks personally?!

Of course, another plan did occur to Jiang Ye—

Right now, this clone of his had already bound the Formless Leaf.

He also still had survival stones delivered by his Exile City clone.

That is, he could generate other clones.

Then have another clone bind the Formless Leaf, and have that other clone use Self-Immolation Moment.

This was indeed also a line of thought...

But Jiang Ye had a vague feeling—

Other clones might not be qualified.

The object designated by that mysterious voice to help it burn was precisely this current Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye clone...

While Jiang Ye was hesitating and struggling internally.

The Fire Snake on the hair tree at the vortex center appeared even weaker.

The rotation speed of the vortex also clearly accelerated.

That Fire Snake teetered on the brink, and even the color it presented from the "human-shaped leaf" perspective began to dim.

It looked as if it could completely vanish and disappear at any moment.

That is, the time left for Jiang Ye to consider was truly running out!

The mysterious voice that had spoken earlier never urged him again.

It seemed as if the owner of that voice was expending too much effort just maintaining the Fire Snake from extinguishing, and thus didn't speak to Jiang Ye again.

But deep down, Jiang Ye had a feeling...

The silence of the mysterious voice seemed to silently express—

Missing this opportunity would actually be Jiang Ye's loss!

It was as if that mysterious voice wasn't begging Jiang Ye for help.

But was merely, prompting Jiang Ye...

In the end, Jiang Ye still decided to trust his Sixth Sense!

Thus...

That area where flames and the mist vortex intersected suddenly had a human-shaped leaf intrude!

Jiang Ye had originally been somewhat worried—

In his "human-shaped leaf" state, he didn't know if he could smoothly pass through that mist vortex area and reach the central hair tree?

However, facts proved that his "human-shaped leaf" was indeed somewhat different from the human-shaped leaves of other ordinary players in the Formless Mask state!

The layer of ice crystals coating the leaf surface gave him a feeling of being in his element when he charged into the mist vortex area.

Even that refreshingly cool sensation he felt when first parasitized by the moon infant swept over the senses beneath the human-shaped leaf once more.

And this comfortable feeling inexplicably gave Jiang Ye immense confidence.

Since he had already made a choice, then—no hesitation, no regrets!

Jiang Ye stopped overthinking, and the entire human-shaped leaf covered in a layer of ice crystals directly shot like a ray straight toward that Fire Snake on the verge of extinguishing.

The speed was extremely fast; almost in the blink of an eye, the few remaining scattered flames on the Fire Snake burned onto his human-shaped leaf.

Simultaneously, Jiang Ye instantly used the S-grade skill Self-Immolation Moment!

Under the effect of Formless Mask, his entire human-shaped leaf instantly ignited!

Actually, Jiang Ye knew from the memories of other clones that when ordinary players, or even his ordinary clones, used Self-Immolation Moment in the Formless Mask state...

That entire human-shaped leaf wouldn't burn with particularly raging flames either.

Instead, only the surface layer of the human-shaped leaf would appear red like burning flames.

Occasionally, scattered small flames would also spill out.

Even the appearance of that "human-shaped leaf" self-immolating, from a normal naked-eye perspective, resembled a piece of iron being heated to an extremely high temperature.

The iron piece would glow red-hot, but wouldn't burst into particularly fierce flames.

Yet at this moment, the burning of the "human-shaped leaf" formed by the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye was clearly different from the usual leaf self-immolation situation as well.

First, a "sizzling-crackling" sound came from the air.

As if that layer of ice crystals on the human-shaped leaf's surface was rapidly vaporizing!

The bubbles it emitted, carrying steam-like scalding temperatures, were rapidly devoured by the dying Fire Snake!

Those steam bubbles weren't even flames themselves, but seemed to save that Fire Snake just by their scalding heat alone!

The flames that were about to extinguish instantly "whooshed" upward, spreading from the contact point between the "human-shaped leaf" and the Fire Snake toward both the hair tree's roots and the high sky, extending in both directions!

In almost an instant, the entire Fire Snake burned as fiercely as before the Giant Toad's Long Tongue arrived!

Even...

Under such intense burning, "sizzling-crackling" sounds also rang out again from the vortex condensed from vast amounts of mist.

This feeling was as if, at this very moment, even that layer of mist vortex was being ignited!

At this moment, Jiang Ye, who was "self-immolating" in human-shaped leaf form, had only a field of fiery red in his vision.

So he couldn't see—

First, the layer of ice crystals on his human-shaped leaf continuously released steam bubbles, which were devoured by the Fire Snake.

Then, within the mist vortex, under the "sizzling-crackling" sounds, large amounts of steam bubbles also continuously emerged, continuously surging into the Fire Snake, being devoured by it!

The fire coiled around that hair tree grew increasingly fierce!

The entire black hair tree seemed to have been burned into an iron-red color!

Of course, under that layer of intense flames, it was already difficult to see the iron-red hair tree inside...

Any player looking over would only see a strong, fierce, skyward pillar of fire!

If the previous Fire Snake could still be called a "snake"...

Then in the blink of an eye, it had practically evolved into a fire dragon!

That momentum even penetrated the mist's inherent blocking effect on vision and perception.

Players somewhat farther away near this Misty Forest of Oddities also sensed that intensely penetrating pillar of fire!

If it were just the firelight, this area would probably be crowded with players in an instant.

However, the key was, whether Sun People players or Moon People players, what they sensed wasn't just "firelight."

There was also a kind of terrifying momentum that directly pierced the soul, seemingly capable of annihilating everything!

This terrifying momentum directly annihilated the curiosity of both Moon People and Sun People players...

Making them completely dare not go watch the commotion.

Instead, almost instinctively, they distanced themselves—farther, farther, and farther away!

Don't even mention ordinary players; even that originally bluish-grey long tongue stirring up trouble around that hair tree seemed unable to withstand it now!

It shrank back sharply toward the direction it came from, as if scalded!

Including Qi Lin, who had been in a dazed state after being whipped by it...

He also fled this place almost at life-or-death speed.

For a moment, players fleeing by instinct even doubted a real "doomsday."

The kind of true doomsday where the world would be utterly destroyed!

And these were the perspectives of bystanders...

Jiang Ye, truly at the center of the flames, unexpectedly didn't have many intense feelings.

He only felt, at the moment of "self-immolation," that "cold sensation" brought by the moon infant's parasitism suddenly weaken.

Then his vision turned fiery red, while the five senses of the human-shaped leaf seemed sealed off.

He felt nothing special at all, just as if drifting in chaos for a long time.

That illusion of "drifting in chaos for a long time" felt as if his consciousness was being tempered and sublimated.

And as that "drifting feeling" of nothingness gradually faded, it was replaced by a heavier sense of substance.

Even though his sealed five senses hadn't recovered yet, he still vaguely felt—

His originally thin human-shaped leaf...

Seemed to have become heavier?

Just as he wondered if he had been burned from a "leaf" into an "iron piece"...

His gradually recovering consciousness suddenly sensed the Guiwen clone!

Thus, in an instant, consciousness between clones synchronized and shared once more.

And the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye finally saw the current appearance of "himself" through the perspective of Witch Gui Jiang Ye, or rather Chen Cang...

Yes, he had indeed become heavier, no longer as thin as the previous human-shaped leaf.

However, he hadn't turned into the human-shaped iron piece he imagined.

Instead, he seemed to have been burned into a human-shaped doll.

Even this human-shaped doll didn't look particularly high-end; rather, it resembled an ordinary clay doll fired from pottery clay.

Yet, both Witch Gui Jiang Ye and the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye were utterly shocked by the appearance of that "clay doll"!

Simply because he had seen that clay doll before!

Back in the Doomsday Apartment era, when the shadow phantom rescued his son Tao Sheng, he left Jiang Ye a prop as "compensation."

And that prop... was precisely the clay doll that the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye presented after self-immolating!

And the information of this clay doll was—

[Prometheus Doll]

[Effect: Provides a vessel for soul entities to parasitize, and provides the SSS-rank unique special talent "Fire Theft."]

[Fire Theft (SSS): You can steal others' abilities (including but not limited to: Ultimate Abilities, talents, skills, Glyph Pattern Abilities, etc.)]

[PS: Within 24 hours, if the same ability is stolen for over 2 hours, the doll has a Probability of mutating; over 5 hours, the doll has a Probability of devouring its master; over 10 hours, the doll generates an autonomous soul entity.]

Ah, this...

I just self-immolated, and now I've "stolen fire"??

Is this what the mysterious voice meant by "the Fire Seed is yours"?

So, whose fire did I steal—the mysterious voice's fire, or the Moon-Devouring Giant Toad's fire?

At this moment, Jiang Ye belatedly realized...

His earlier premonition might indeed have been correct.

That mysterious voice wasn't begging for his help, but was merely prompting him!

Perhaps initially, the owner of the mysterious voice intended to steal fire, but couldn't succeed.

Thus, it prompted Jiang Ye.

Thus, Jiang Ye's choice concerned his own interests.

Thus, that mysterious voice wasn't in a hurry to urge him...

And just as Jiang Ye's mind raced, pondering many things.

He felt his clay doll-like "mutated version human-shaped leaf" being gripped by a force.

Of course, from Witch Gui Jiang Ye's perspective, he could see more clearly and directly—

It was Chen Cang who picked him up.

That hair tree's spectacular burning surprisingly didn't affect the situation within the Blood Pool and Forest of Flesh at all throughout.

And Chen Cang truly lived up to being someone possessing the Protagonist Halo.

Almost the moment the great fire burned out.

While other players, still hindered by that terrifying momentum, dared not approach this place.

Chen Cang was the first to emerge from the Blood Pool and Forest of Flesh space.

Once out, he sensed the lingering aura of the terrifying momentum in the air.

This momentum was indeed frightening, but not impossible to withstand.

Not to mention, at the center of this terrifying momentum, Chen Cang personally saw two treasures—

One was the clay doll formed by the Cheng Lin-version Jiang Ye in the Formless Mask state after being fired;

The other was an iron-red fire chain transformed from that hair tree after burning.

The earlier Qi Lin wanted to chop down that hair tree to bind the Blood Pool and Forest of Flesh as his personal exclusive instance space, but failed.

Only later did he try using "fire"...

And now, after that "fire," this hair tree was indeed equivalent to being "chopped" down.

It had become a separate, detached, eerie iron chain.

Simultaneously, it remained the key medium connecting the Blood Pool and Forest of Flesh space...

And it was clearly also what Qi Lin wanted to obtain when he set the fire.

Yet now, it was directly picked up by Chen Cang!

The wild joy in Chen Cang's eyes was almost impossible to conceal!

This heaven-sent opportunity was naturally enough for him to overcome the instinctive fear from being intimidated by the terrifying momentum, and he directly picked up those two treasures.

"Prometheus Doll, and this Taboo iron chain..."

"Indeed! I don't need to do anything; fate itself rushes to deliver opportunities to me!"