Li Ku shook his head, instinctively about to say something, but ultimately sent a private message instead:

【To be precise, I didn't see those reliefs.】

【Only Lin Dong, who fused with Du Yuheng's eyeballs, can see those reliefs.】

【Oh right, the Guiwen also saw those reliefs after seizing Lin Dong's body.】

【So if you can recover your memories, you'll naturally know what those relief images look like.】

Seeing these messages...

Jiang Ye couldn't help but confirm: 【Reliefs invisible to the naked eye... only Du Yuheng's eyeballs can see them?】

Li Ku: 【Yes.】

Jiang Ye immediately asked again: 【Who is Du Yuheng? Are his eyeballs also red?】

Li Ku shook his head: 【Du Yuheng's eyeballs look the same as normal human eyeballs, but they are indeed very special...】

Halfway through speaking, Li Ku stared at the words "red" and suddenly remembered the peculiarities when Du Yuheng used his skill.

After a slight hesitation, he still shared the special aspects about Du Yuheng:

【As I mentioned before, I only heard the word "Jiang Ye" from Du Yuheng and Lin Dong.】

【And essentially, they both saw the two characters 'Jiang Ye' on Zhou Qiming and the Guiwen through their special eyeballs.】

【According to Du Yuheng's own description, he possesses the ability of Mind Reading. And whenever he uses this ability...】

【A flash of red light appears in his eyes!】

【Could that flash of red light share some similarities with your red eyeball...?】

Mind Reading?!

Jiang Ye's heart trembled upon seeing these two words.

However, this "similarity" made him suspect...

Could this Du Yuheng also be one of his clones?

He directly asked again: 【What about Du Yuheng then? Did he enter this Instance World?】

Li Ku: 【Uncertain. We lost contact in the Blood Pool while exploring it.】

【Come to think of it, he should have been with the Guiwen.】

【Later, we witnessed the monster's revival on the 18th floor of the Blood Pool Elevator, thus reuniting with you, Guiwen, but we never saw Du Yuheng again.】

【If you, Guiwen, can recover your memories, perhaps you'll know some information about Du Yuheng.】

Alright, another issue of lost memories...

However, Jiang Ye already had some speculations about Du Yuheng.

According to Du Yuheng himself, his unusual eyes possess the ability of "Mind Reading."

But his "Mind Reading" sees "text"?

Plus, a flash of red light appears in his eyes when using the "Mind Reading" ability...

This inevitably made Jiang Ye suspect—

Du Yuheng's so-called "Mind Reading" might be a special perspective similar to Guan Gong Eyes!

The world he sees when using "Mind Reading" should be different from the world seen with normal vision.

And through that special perspective, he can obtain some information.

He then disguises this additionally obtained information as the so-called "Mind Reading" ability...

As for Du Yuheng's whereabouts, Jiang Ye also had a speculation.

According to Li Ku's revelation—

On every floor of the Blood Pool Elevator, what they saw with the naked eye was almost an empty hexagonal palace.

Only Du Yuheng's eyeballs could see the reliefs on the palace walls.

Then based on this information...

The so-called palace "walls" probably aren't walls at all!

They are spaces of another dimension!

Li Ku thought he visited every floor of the Blood Pool Elevator...

But in reality, what he saw was probably just the elevator foyer!

Meaning, he never actually entered the real "rooms" of each floor!

The relief walls visible in Du Yuheng's eyeball vision are the true worlds the elevator transports to!

Li Ku and the others merely glanced from outside the door without ever stepping in!

Conversely, the missing Du Yuheng might have entered the world of the relief walls?

And at this moment, the Instance World he and Li Ku are in might also be considered them stumbling into a real room accessible through the Blood Pool Elevator!

Then, Li Ku's dilemma about how to clear the instance and leave the Instance World...

Perhaps can also be translated as—

How to leave this "relief wall"!

It seems this shares similarities with how the Stick Figure walks out of that white paper.

Simply searching on a map is probably useless.

Instead, the multi-dimensional staircase in the Underground Palace faintly points the way—

The gaps causing spatial "branching" in the staircase are precisely spatial passages!

So this instance of theirs might also have a passage!

However, this passage isn't as simple as the spatial passages in the staircase, fixed at one point.

The passage they need to find might be mobile, or have activation conditions!

They stumbled upon that spatial passage, or fulfilled its activation conditions...

and thus came from the Blood Pool Elevator to this Instance World.

But to return, they probably need to find that spatial passage again, or re-trigger its activation conditions?

After this contemplation, Jiang Ye gained a relatively clear understanding of his situation.

The only thing he still dwelled on was his amnesia, and his original body whose rescue necessity remained unknown...

But worrying was useless.

After briefly exchanging some more information with Li Ku, they discussed exploring the Underground Palace staircase again.

First, it was certain that in a short time, they absolutely could not explore all branches of the Underground Palace staircase!

Finding useful information among infinite branches would be like searching for a needle in a haystack!

Li Ku's idea was—

First, explore the 100 already mapped routes using the red differentiated eyeballs.

Primarily to see if their endpoints are all like the most primitive route, a white light of nothingness.

Secondly, Jiang Ye's idea was—

With the assistance of the red eyeballs, he might be able to find the route where Administrator 4444 is located within the branch routes of the Underground Palace staircase!

As long as he finds the administrator...

Even if he can't kill him immediately.

The Underground Palace route where the administrator resides likely hides secrets!

Previously, Jiang Ye had no memories and knew nothing.

But as he grasped more and more information, he developed new speculations about the administrator's behavioral motives.

Before, like Li Ku, he thought the administrator hiding in the Tombstone Underground Palace harbored some conspiracy against them...

But thinking about it now, perhaps not.

Jiang Ye speculated—

The environment at the endpoint of the Underground Palace route where the administrator resides might be filled with entities similar to the mist.

Before obtaining the Prison watch, the administrator simply couldn't explore alone.

Not long ago, Li Ku's appearance allowed the administrator to obtain the Prison watch...

That's why he used the Prison watch to explore that route in the Underground Palace!

He didn't hesitate to merge apartments...

even agreed to give out the administrator proxy badge and his own mimic mask, all for that one Prison watch.

Then perhaps, the Underground Palace route the administrator went to hides benefits he has coveted for a long time!

However, it's basically certain that before Guan Ce became a clone, he was a pawn obeying the administrator.

So, guiding Li Ku to explore the Underground Palace was also the administrator's goal.

Then perhaps...

Even after obtaining the Prison watch, the administrator still hasn't acquired what he covets.

He still needs to utilize Li Ku's abilities.

Li Ku's black thread ability?

Or... Li Ku's cross?

Both are possible.

Thinking this way, Jiang Ye increasingly felt...

The secrets hidden in this Underground Palace truly seem tailor-made for Li Ku!

The black threads' ability to explore the Underground Palace...

The Prison watch's ability to survive in the White Light World...

And the cross, possibly a key to some secret...

The secrets of this Underground Palace clearly belong to Li Ku!

And the administrator probably didn't realize this, daring to harbor greed and covet secrets belonging to Li Ku.

Of course, Jiang Ye didn't share these speculations with Li Ku.

Perhaps Li Ku already had his own speculations without being told.

After both had everything settled, Li Ku, relying on his Super Brain, forcibly memorized the 100 branch routes they had already walked.

Afterwards, the 100 threads carrying the recording orbs were retracted.

This time, the 100 threads, no longer carrying recording orbs, were instead carrying red eyeballs to re-explore the Underground Palace staircase!

Li Hongbin and Gong Cheng no longer participated in this cooperation.

Instead, Jiang Ye and Li Ku, one acting as the eyes, the other as the feet, cooperated to "walk" within the Underground Palace.

The 100 threads were quickly redistributed among the branch routes of the Underground Palace staircase.

Ninety of them directly explored downwards along the staircase routes.

The remaining ten, following Jiang Ye's instructions, continued searching for gaps between the staircases.

However, this time, the goal wasn't strictly recording every branch of the staircase.

Instead, it was to explore the route branch where the administrator is located, based on Jiang Ye's sense of the administrator.

From the perspective of clone-to-clone sensing, he still thought this exploration shouldn't be difficult.

Because he clearly and definitely knew where the administrator was.

However, during actual operation, he discovered this process wasn't simple.

This is akin to a complex pitch-black maze; he knows where he is and where the target red dot is.

But the route from himself to the target red dot isn't a straight line.

Along the way, there are various possibilities of complex routes.

All he can do is continuously grope within the pitch-black maze.

So, a distance that doesn't feel far in terms of sensing isn't an easy journey to traverse within the terrifying, intricately tangled tree-like branch space.

During this process of blindly groping and bumping around in the "maze," Jiang Ye thought of another problem—

If the administrator truly wanted to lure Li Ku to explore the Underground Palace, then go pick the ripe fruit himself...

Then how could he be sure Li Ku would precisely find him?

So...

Jiang Ye vaguely speculated— 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Perhaps the solution to this maze itself also lies with Li Ku!

The black threads are just one part; Li Ku's body holds another part!

Thinking this, Jiang Ye finally shared his thoughts with Li Ku and asked him:

【Do you have any other means on you that you've overlooked but could be effective against this Underground Palace staircase?】

Li Ku also followed this line of thought...

If this maze-like staircase is truly tailor-made for him.

Besides the exploration means of the threads, another puzzle-solving means is also on him...

Suddenly, Li Ku thought of something, flipped his hand, and took out the cross he subdued on the 44th floor of the Blood Pool Elevator.

He obtained this cross also by relying on the dark space and dark energy.

44th floor, 4444 Apartment...

This cross, this Tombstone Underground Palace, and even himself, might inherently share some connection!

With a thought, Li Ku wanted to bring the miniature cross in his palm closer to the Tombstone Underground Palace...

But with this thought, he unexpectedly discovered—

The cross in his hand couldn't approach the Tombstone Underground Palace!

Even within a 3-meter radius around the Underground Palace, it couldn't get close!

Perplexed, Li Ku integrated the cross into his body and tried approaching again, encountering no issue.

So...

Is the cross, when separated alone, unable to approach this Tombstone Underground Palace?

But... why?

What would happen if it approached?

Li Ku suddenly remembered the process of subduing the cross, and a bold idea surfaced in his mind.

Thus, with a thought, a few more strands of black threads emerged from the cracks on his body.

The black threads once again wrapped around the cross layer by layer, just like when Li Ku subdued it.

Only this time, Li Ku wasn't using the black threads to pull the cross into the cracks on his body.

Instead...

He stood at the edge of the Tombstone Underground Palace, manipulating the black threads to pull the cross from over 3 meters away towards this Tombstone Underground Palace.

He didn't say much during this process, but Jiang Ye vaguely understood and asked:

【Your cross... can't approach the Tombstone Underground Palace entrance area?】

Li Ku nodded slightly: 【It seems there's a mysterious force resisting it... and this force seems very similar to the force that bound it when I subdued the cross.】

Jiang Ye couldn't help but complain: 【Isn't this... a bit too bold? Aren't you afraid something unexpected might happen?】

【Unexpected?】

Li Ku raised an eyebrow: 【You've probably guessed it too—】

【This Underground Palace probably inherently has some connection with me.】

【Without my black threads, other means would likely find it difficult to traverse those staircase gaps.】

【The Prison watch the administrator borrowed was probably also used by him as a bargaining chip for exploring the staircase.】

【Besides these deducible answers... I myself have an indescribable, peculiar feeling.】

【So I think, nothing unexpected should happen.】

Should?

Since Li Ku had his own judgment, Jiang Ye said no more.

As an amnesiac, the information he possessed was naturally far less than Li Ku's.

And Li Ku's black threads truly did pull the cross, which couldn't approach the Underground Palace entrance, towards that direction.

And...

Just as the cross was pulled to about 1 meter from the Underground Palace entrance...

It suddenly began to enlarge from a miniature cross less than a finger's length!

Until the base at the very bottom of the entire cross reached a width of one meter!

It seemed to transform into a giant Cross-shaped Tombstone, standing right at the entrance of the Underground Palace!

Li Ku stood on the opposite edge of the Underground Palace entrance, the black threads still binding this giant cross.

In this state, the giant cross simply couldn't enter the Underground Palace!

Instead, continuing to pull it would cause the cross's base to completely block the Underground Palace entrance!