018 The deciding moment has arrived!

At this moment, hearing the distorted laughter of Sea Urchin Head, more people dared to open their eyes.

Although it was hard to count exactly, it seemed that about a dozen more had fallen this round.

Among them were the well-known couple and a few who had burst into conflict, but there were also several perfectly normal people who met with misfortune, including the two most harmless anime fans; it was truly incomprehensible what taboos they had violated. It couldn't just be because they played original... Anime games, right?

As for Zhang Qingyi, almost no one noticed her doing anything extreme.

Before there was time for further observation, Sea Urchin Head spoke again.

"Speed up the process... speed up the process...

"Next is nap time... um... let's say 20 minutes...

"When class resumes... The teacher hopes you will select the best student and the worst student.

"The teacher will respect the collective's decision, rewarding the former with an artifact and punishing the latter.

"See you in the afternoon.

"Ring... Ring... "

Perhaps because of too much forceful exhalation at once, Sea Urchin Head's ringing of the bell and footsteps were clearly labored this time.

Clang.

As the door slammed shut again, everyone exhaled, sinking into a numb exhaustion.

No one spoke.

Lacking the strength to speak, and no more in the mood to speak.

So what if we've survived another close call?

Half of the people had already fallen.

Fallen without any reason.

What's the point of continuing when eventually, one class would be taken away by that monster, to be enjoyed together...

At this moment, the rationality of most people had already been eroded away by fear and exhaustion; they simply had no mind to think about any rules anymore.

Just be cautious and prudent, that's right, do nothing at all...

Do nothing at all...

Do nothing at all...

After two minutes of such silence, someone suddenly stood up and slammed the table.

"I've figured it out!" Cai Zhixin yelled hoarsely, "Listen to me! Our chance to win is here!!"

As his voice surged with excitement, the people in the class were also jolted awake, all turning their heads to listen to his proclaimed wisdom.

Cai Zhixin, panting heavily and flinging sweat around, looked around and said:

"All this time, why couldn't we resist the authority? Why couldn't even Li Qingming resist the authority?

"Because of the artifacts!

"In the Secret Realm, only Secret Abilities and artifacts can inflict effective damage on monsters!

"But just now, did you hear that?

"The good student chosen by vote will receive an artifact.

"The authority also said that his energy is decreasing.

"Do you understand?

"Powerful artifacts, a weakened authority!

"The opportunity is here, it's here!

"Cast all the good student votes for me, and I will use the artifact rewarded by the authority to eliminate it!

"If you understand, nod and agree with me!"

The room was silent.

Everyone understood, but no one nodded in agreement.

That was because Cai Zhixin's demeanor was a bit too fanatical at the moment; it was very hard to entrust such life-and-death power to someone like that.

Cai Zhixin himself seemed to sense the doubts of his classmates and hurriedly glared his eyes towards the monitor, Zheng Ruixing.

"If you can't trust me, you should at least trust him, right?

"Don't split the votes when the time comes, cast all votes for Zheng Ruixing as the good student!

"He won't have any problems, right? He will definitely consider the collective's interests, right?"

Hearing Cai Zhixin's excellent logic for rallying support, the crowd began to show some conviction.

Indeed, Zheng Ruixing's actions had already proven his fearless spirit for the collective, and no one deserved the artifact more than him.

Seeing that quite a few people nodded in agreement, Cai Zhixin's confidence soared. He made a graceful turn and with a sinister smile glanced towards the corner: "As for the votes for the bad student... Praise the authority, for it has given us the only opportunity to get rid of Li Qingming."

The crowd felt a chill run down their spines.

That faint sense of unease and restlessness that had been almost forgotten was now stirred up again.

Indeed, who knew what might happen next—Li Qingming might very well harm others.

Eliminating him by taking advantage of the master's rules—wasn't that the best strategy?

After all, there always needed to be a bad student...

Choosing him would never be wrong.

Getting rid of him is simply an act of justice, right?

All this is for the sake of the collective, right...

After all, he is Li Qingming; such a person, even if eliminated, would not be held accountable afterward.

It was amidst this growing wave of emotions.

"I object!" Zheng Ruixing stood up indignantly and looked around, exclaiming, "Up to now, Li Qingming has only had a positive effect in the Secret Realm, and you could even say he's been leading us forward; stop targeting him!"

"But who knows what might happen next?" Cai Zhixin turned around, even more angrily, spitting his words at everyone:

"Gentlemen, have you forgotten who brought us to this Secret Realm?

"Have you forgotten Li Qingming's recent declaration of hostility?

"Have you forgotten how he has treated us for the past two years?

"Search your hearts and ask yourselves, if there is a competition rule later on, would Li Qingming show us any mercy?

"So do you understand? It is he who forced us to do this; everything is his own fault!

"To take a step back, we must each cast a vote for the bad student—who else deserves the title of 'bad student' other than him?"

"We can abstain." Zheng Ruixing interrupted loudly, pleading with everyone, "The teacher didn't say we couldn't abstain. As long as we all don't vote for the bad student, then there won't be one!"

"Don't listen to him, don't listen at all!" Cai Zhixin exclaimed as if he were mad, "Even if we don't vote for the bad student, Li Qingming surely will! It would just be giving him a free point to commit murder! Listen to me, don't split the vote! Good student all votes for Zheng Ruixing, bad student all votes for Li Qingming!"

"Cai Zhixin!" Zheng Ruixing shouted angrily, "The master has given us this opportunity as a collective; can't you give Li Qingming a chance?"

No sooner had he spoken than he turned to Li Qingming: "Qingming, vote for whomever you want for the good student, but abstain from voting for the bad student; can you do that?"

"I can't," Li Qingming replied without hesitation, "The good student is me, and the bad student is Cai Zhixin; that's the only way I will vote."

Everyone was astonished.

Our foolish class leader has laid it all out for you, and you can't even bother to deceive someone?

"Hahahaha!!" Cai Zhixin laughed uproariously, slapping the table, "Do you all hear that? Everyone heard, right? Li Qingming is a madman; he hates the collective more than anything and wishes we'd all fail! Therefore, casting all votes for Li Qingming as the bad student is the right move! Don't hesitate!"

Yet Zheng Ruixing did not give up, still gazing fiercely at Li Qingming, he pressed, "Can't you even lie to anyone?"

"It's not that I can't, it's that I must not," Li Qingming looked around, puzzled, "After all this, don't you know the rules?"

Everyone was astonished again.

He had figured out the rules??

Dammit, why did it have to be him!

No... more accurately, of course it was him...

This was trouble... He would never tell the rules to anyone else...

Just as everyone was sinking into despair.

"School rules," Li Qingming said nonchalantly, "The school rules require me to be honest. Lying would make me a bad student."

Suddenly, everyone tensed up like rabbits who had sniffed tiger urine, instantly alert.

"!!!"

"Eh?"

"What? What did he just say?"

"School rules? The Secret Realm's rules are the school rules?!"

"It's that simple?"

Like clearing the clouds to see the clear sky, the atmosphere of terror was swept away instantly.

All eyes turned to those who were sleeping.

Some didn't wear school uniforms...

Some used profanity...

Some wore jewelry...

Some... definitely did something against the rules...

School rules, school rules.

Using them to distinguish good students from bad students...

It was so obvious; it was all too obvious!