Xuan Jingyuan's face was expressionless, but he was burning with an unprecedented fury. If they were in his own world, he would have absolutely had all these natives executed by a thousand cuts! He would have exterminated their entire clans!
Zuo Lin'an, who had been keeping a close eye on Xuan Jingyuan, naturally noticed his strange behavior.
During the exam earlier, because he had to focus entirely on putting up a front and pretending to study diligently, he hadn't had the energy to check whether Xuan Jingyuan and Gu Hedao, who sat on either side of him, had actually copied his answers.
But seeing Xuan Jingyuan's expression now, a certain suspicion was confirmed in his mind. Did these two actually copy everything?
When he thought of the scores he had estimated for himself, he could no longer suppress the smile on his face. He didn't even bother to hide it anymore.
A smile spread across Zuo Lin'an's face, and a hint of mockery crept into his tone.
“Oh my,” he sighed softly. “Youyou, we haven't studied seriously at all these past few days. I wonder who could be so stupid to copy us of all people.”
“Look how mad they made the teacher!”
Xu Youyou's face was filled with schadenfreude. “Haha...”
Xuan Jingyuan was already at his limit. Hearing this, he was about to snap on the spot.
Right at that moment, Xuan Jiu quickly rushed to his side and handed over the card in his hand.
“Master, this is the reward I received. Now that we are at the final critical juncture, I hope Your Majesty will prioritize finding the path of survival.”
Gu Hedao also walked over.
They had all seen Ming Ruofeng combine two cards into a complete 【School Gate Pass】 earlier, so they now knew the purpose of the rewards obtained from the exam.
Furthermore... that talk about sixty points being a passing grade was all a lie.
He had overheard two other native students whispering earlier. Sixty was indeed a passing grade, but to obtain a reward, one had to score at least eighty in all four subjects!
If possible, he really didn't want to let Zuo Lin'an off the hook, but just as Xuan Jiu had said, they were at the final critical juncture and couldn't afford any accidents.
The players who had been expelled from the school for attacking Xuan Jingyuan in the cafeteria had vanished without a trace. They couldn't afford to repeat that mistake.
Xuan Jingyuan naturally understood the gravity of the situation. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Zuo Lin'an quit while he was ahead. He stopped talking and turned to whisper with Xu Youyou instead.
Most of the players in the classroom looked toward Xuan Jingyuan, waiting for his decision.
Xuan Jingyuan himself was torn. He stared at the card in his hand for a long time. The only person among them who still had a 【Gate Permit】 card was Gu Hedao.
In other words...
Although Xuan Jingyuan was conflicted, he didn't hesitate for long. He eventually handed the card to Gu Hedao.
“Elder Gu, you take it.”
Gu Hedao frowned slightly. Although he felt it was a bit unfair, he didn't refuse. After all, he would never hand over the 【Gate Permit】 card in his own possession anyway.
Even if the one asking for it was Xuan Jingyuan.
This was actually the best outcome.
After all, as a Xiantian Rank martial artist, if he truly decided to snatch it by force, absolutely no one would be able to stop him.
After taking the card, Gu Hedao pulled out his own. Soon, a 【School Gate Pass】 identical to the one Ming Ruofeng held earlier appeared in his hand.
Xuan Jingyuan sighed softly. He possessed the specter item 【Lingyang First High School Pass】, which would allow him to leave the dungeon without going through the path of survival once he completed the other main quests.
But doing so meant...
“I believe the location of the path of survival can be confirmed now.”
Gu Hedao tucked away the complete card and nodded slightly.
“Since it's a 【School Gate Pass】, it means we must exit the school gate. Thus, the path of survival can only be outside the school.”
“Given that the dungeon's setting is a school, leaving after dismissal to clear the dungeon is perfectly logical.”
“Furthermore, if the path of survival isn't outside the school, then this card would be useless. The dungeon wouldn't make such an arrangement. Now, the only thing we need to consider is the exact location of the path of survival.”
Xuan Jingyuan turned to look in the direction of the school gate.
“It shouldn't be too complicated. It's likely right outside the school gate, in the area where we stood when we first entered the dungeon.”
Gu Hedao agreed.
“Speaking of which, back in the Scarlet Dream, Zuo...”
He paused, casting a glance at Zuo Lin'an, who was still sitting in his chair.
“There was a specter specifically targeting those with cards. At the start, Xuan Yi had five cards. He was killed, and his body was carried away.”
“Later, it was Xuan Er, whose body was also taken away... Does this suggest the stolen cards are on him?”
Hearing this, Xuan Jingyuan's eyes lit up!
If that was true, then wouldn't that mean...
But he quickly dismissed the thought as unrealistic.
“The natives appear as specters in the Scarlet Dream. If a specter could bring cards out of the dream, wouldn't that be absurd?”
“Even if we assume they could, they would probably have hidden them in some corner of the campus by now. Unless we interrogate and torture him for a confession...”
Xuan Jingyuan's voice trailed off as his gaze swept across the classroom. Most of the people standing there were his ministers, generals, secret guards, and imperial guards.
But now...
If the path of survival was truly outside the school gate, and they had to leave the campus to clear the dungeon, then the 【School Gate Pass】 was a necessity.
Without any other cards, everyone else besides himself and Gu Hedao would be left behind.
“Your Majesty makes a fair point,” Gu Hedao said. “But if we don't try, the others won't be able to accept it, even if there is only a one percent chance. If we can get the 【Gate Permit】 card from him, then gather some exam reward cards from other classes, we might be able to piece together another three to five passes.”
At that moment, Xuan Jiu suddenly volunteered.
“Master, let me try.”
Xuan Jingyuan frowned. “Do you know the consequences?”
Xuan Jiu thought of the guards who had been expelled from the school for attacking His Majesty earlier. His expression grew solemn.
“I do, but...”
Xuan Jingyuan waved his hand. “Fine. Since you insist, I won't stop you. But... remember to exercise restraint.”
Xuan Jiu nodded solemnly.
“Yes!”
In the next instant, Xuan Jiu charged toward Zuo Lin'an.
Zuo Lin'an had naturally overheard their conversation. Just as he was about to shout the word “security,” Ming Ruofeng, who was sitting in front of him, suddenly moved and blocked Xuan Jiu's advance.
Seeing this, Xuan Jingyuan and the others immediately looked incredibly grim.
“Ming Ruofeng, you insist on doing this?” Xuan Jiu demanded.
Ming Ruofeng's expression remained unchanged. “Yes. What of it?”
Xuan Jiu frowned. “Do you realize that if it weren't for His Majesty's mercy, you wouldn't even be alive today?”
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