The sun slowly set.
On the road, more and more people were rushing. Li Shuang and Cang Yin gradually quickened their pace.
They didn't want to challenge the rules set by Lin An.
At the entrance of the disciples' dormitories.
Lin An had been leaning against a tree, eyes closed.
As dusk deepened and the sun's light gradually faded.
Lin An opened his eyes, a cruel smile in their depths.
Was his sword about to be drawn again?
Lin An, sword in hand, lazily walked to the middle of the road.
Everyone's heart skipped a beat at the sight. When they passed him, they didn't dare to stop for a moment, rushing straight to their rooms.
Li Shuang and Cang Yin, amidst the crowd, also arrived at the disciples' dormitories.
The sun continued to set.
Half of the world was already painted in the color of night, and darkness continued to spread towards them.
Li Shuang had no doubt that when the darkness engulfed the dormitories, anyone still outside would be annihilated.
Time was urgent, but her steps paused beside Lin An.
The Rebirth Art circulated again, and Li Shuang asked only one question: "Senior Brother, you are the chief disciple, naturally the elite among elites. Why... haven't you gone to the Ascension Formation, but stayed here to instruct us new disciples?"
Lin An glanced at her indifferently, saying nothing.
Li Shuang asked, "Is it because... you still have turbidity in you?"
Lin An raised an eyebrow, "You know quite a lot."
He gave no direct answer.
But Li Shuang already had her own conclusion.
Darkness had already reached her feet.
Li Shuang turned, pulling Cang Yin, who was foolishly still standing there with her.
The two rushed back.
Before the darkness completely enveloped them, they plunged into their respective rooms.
The next moment.
In the vast night, Lin An revealed an eerie smile.
He drew his sword and slashed forward.
Two disciples, who had already reached the entrance of the dormitories.
But.
They were just a split second late.
That single split second cost them their lives.
The number of rooms... became 63.
Li Shuang frowned slightly.
They couldn't afford to lose any more people.
If琅琊palace was viewed as a game dungeon, in Ye Zhaozhao's world's terms, Lin An and these people were all NPCs.
And they were the players.
NPCs had their fixed trajectories, they were constants.
Players were the variables!
If there weren't enough variables, they wouldn't be able to gain control from these NPCs, not even a little!
Without control, they would only repeat the same storyline over and over.
They would never truly clear this dungeon.
To change the dungeon's outcome, even slightly, relying on her alone was absolutely not enough.
Li Shuang couldn't save everyone, but she still wanted to try her best to keep more helpers.
Lin An killed the two late disciples, then calmly said, "Night has fallen. In the Demon Beast Pavilion, demon beasts occasionally escape. Only the disciples' dormitories are safe, where demon beasts cannot enter. To ensure your safety, I will patrol here every half an hour. If, at that time, any room in the dormitories is empty..."
Lin An showed a faint smile, "You all understand the consequences of breaking the rules, I believe."
With that.
He turned and left directly.
Lin An's figure quickly disappeared into the vast night.
Li Shuang's eyes flickered slightly.
She had once obtained a crucial piece of information.
"You must go out at night! If you don't, you die!"
This was completely contrary to the rules Lin An had given them.
Yet Lin An himself had given contradictory rules.
On one hand, he forbade them from going out, but on the other, he told them that hunting demon beasts earned points.
Li Shuang's expression shifted slightly.
Lin An said he would patrol every half an hour.
These words...
Were more like telling them.
They could move freely for that half an hour, and as long as they were within the dormitories when he patrolled, they would be fine.
Li Shuang probably wasn't the only one who figured this out.
But thinking something was one thing; in this world where everything was a guess, and a wrong guess meant death, actually leaving the dormitories required courage.
Li Shuang was also extremely cautious.
She carefully opened a window.
No reaction.
She stretched her arm out the window, still no reaction.
Only then did Li Shuang open the door.
She tentatively moved one foot out, still safe and sound.
Then, tensing her body, she slowly stepped out.
She had also made full preparations, ready to return to the dormitories in an instant if there was any problem.
As Li Shuang stepped out of her room.
The door to room two also opened. Cang Yin followed her without hesitation.
Li Shuang looked at her in slight surprise. She followed too decisively.
Everyone else was observing the two from behind their windows.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Even though they were now entirely in the dark, no danger had arisen.
"Everyone," Li Shuang said slowly, "I received information today. A disciple from the琅琊Sect told me that we must go out at night; if not, we die! I personally guess that as long as we return to the dormitories every half an hour, we can avoid Lin An's patrol. Now, I am going out to find demon beasts. Please make your decisions soon."
Li Shuang had said everything that needed to be said.
As for whether these people believed it or not.
That was beyond her control.
She needed companions.
But the companions she needed had to be either elite enough or obedient enough.
If someone was determined to seek death... she had no reason to save them.
After speaking, Li Shuang nodded to Cang Yin, and the two walked directly into the deep darkness.
Inside the disciples' dormitories, there was a profound silence.
To believe, or not to believe!
The disciples' dormitories were not safe.
Was going out the only way to survive?
"I'm not going out anyway! That Li Shuang is an elite disciple, and Lin An seems to give her some face. She might not face consequences for breaking rules, but if we do, it's a dead end."
"Have you forgotten the incident five hundred years ago? They say that when the琅琊palace opened that time, only one person survived! Only one, and other sects even pursued that survivor. Apparently, it was because that person used scheming to kill everyone else in the琅琊palace, and in the end, he alone received the reward!"
"This Li Shuang might just want us to go to our deaths."
"Yes, we're not going out."
Everyone was still discussing.
Feng Yu and Yan Lie opened their doors almost simultaneously. They exchanged glances and sped off in two different directions.
The scene fell silent again.
The most talented few had chosen to venture into the night.
What about them? How should they choose?
But... that vast darkness, it was truly terrifying.
In the distance, the roars of demon beasts could already be heard.
Could they really survive in the darkness?
Some tightly closed their doors and windows. No matter what, they would never leave the dormitories.
Most people hesitated for a moment, then also actively stepped out of the dormitories.
Some were motivated by the information they had received today with Li Shuang's help.
Others followed because the most talented had entered the darkness, and following the strong was always a safe bet.
Everyone left the dormitories, disappearing into the darkness.