"Since the Azure Moon Dragon isn't here, why don't we go back, report the situation to the Emperor, and then change the exam questions?" Zu An thought of Jiang Luofu's warning before he left, the various dangerous areas marked in red on the map, and the unknown conspiracy that Prince Qi might be plotting. He felt uneasy.

Upon hearing this, the others immediately began to stir:

"What a joke! So many of us just set out and we're already back defeated? Where will we put our pride then?"

“Yeah, what would it mean to go back now? Failure? I can’t afford to lose face like that.”

"If you're scared, you can go back first."

...

While the people were gossiping, they looked at Zu An with disdain. It was a wonder that the Crown Princess trusted this guy so much, but it turned out he was a coward.

Zu An ignored him and instead looked at Bi Linglong: "Crown Princess, what do you say?"

Bi Linglong shook her head: "We can't go back. This time, the Crown Prince's examination involved coordination among various forces for a long time, and we also used a lot of resources. It would be too much of a loss to fail at the last minute. Moreover, if we go back, Prince Qi might use our failure to complete the task to make trouble, which would put the Crown Prince in a very passive position."

“That’s right, that’s right,” the Gu brothers straightened their backs even more after hearing the Crown Princess say the same thing. “The fact that the Azure Moon Dragon isn’t here might be part of the test for us. Otherwise, if we found and killed the Azure Moon Dragon so quickly, it would seem like this mission was too easy. You have to know that this is the Crown Prince’s big test, which is related to the future succession to the throne. How could it be completed so easily?”

“That’s right, the Gu brothers are right.” The others echoed, clearly thinking the same thing.

Zu An said in a deep voice, "But now that the Azure Moon Dragon is not here, we are not even sure if the Azure Moon Dragon is in the secret realm. If we can't find it, it will be even more embarrassing to withdraw."

"Moreover, this secret realm is not as safe as imagined; it is teeming with dangerous beasts."

Meng Pan snorted: "What is a mere ferocious beast? With so many experts like us, we could drown it with a single spit from each of us."

Zuan said calmly, "If we really encounter those powerful ferocious beasts, all of you wouldn't even be enough to fill their teeth."

"You!" Meng Pan roared, "You're a coward, don't assume everyone is as timid and afraid of trouble as you."

Anger from Meng Pan: +311 +311 +311...

The other scions of noble families, all born into high social standing and having experienced little hardship since childhood, were very proud and agreed with Meng Pan's statement.

At this moment, Pei You said, "Don't worry about the whereabouts of the Azure Moon Dragon. I have a way to track it. I just checked the surrounding area, and it should have gone deep into the mountains."

"What are we waiting for? Let's hurry up and catch up, or the clues will disappear if we wait too long!" the others shouted. Everyone turned their attention to the Crown Princess, clearly knowing that the Crown Prince had only come in to eat and relieve himself.

Bi Linglong pondered for a while before finally saying, "Alright, the main force will continue to search for the Azure Moon Dragon in the mountains. Also, just in case, send someone to the entrance of the secret realm to inform the outside world of the situation."

A group of people admired her. After all these years, she had managed to stand up to Prince Qi while keeping the Crown Prince as her incompetent ally. The Crown Princess was indeed more than just beautiful; she was truly thoughtful.

Zuan nodded secretly; it was indeed the best choice at the moment, and she hoped that her worries were unfounded.

The group began to set off again, with Pei You leading the way, searching for traces left by the Azure Moon Dragon.

Bi Linglong then took the opportunity to sidle up to Zu An: "I didn't listen to your opinion, you won't be angry, will you?"

Zuan smiled and said, "I'm not that petty."

Bi Linglong smiled slightly, then lowered her voice and asked, "Are there really many dangers in this secret realm?"

Zu An nodded and briefly explained how Jiang Luofu had given him the map: "The further into the mountains you go, the more dangerous it becomes. In the past, when the disciples from the academy entered the secret realm, they only trained on the outer perimeter and rarely ventured deep into the mountains."

Bi Linglong's expression changed, and she looked at Pei You at the front and said, "Actually, I've always had a worry. Do you remember what I told you before?"

"Are you worried that the Pei family is a double agent?" Zu An followed her gaze and saw the silent man holding a sword.

Bi Linglong nodded: "I'm a little worried that he's deliberately leading us into a dangerous place... No, I have to take precautions."

Without waiting for Zu An's reply, he gathered everyone together and said in a deep voice, "This mission is of utmost importance and cannot tolerate any mistakes, so everyone must be extremely careful. There are countless dangers in the secret mountain, so everyone must follow the arrangements and remember not to act on their own. Let me formally introduce you all. This is Zu An, the son of a concubine in the Eastern Palace. He is very familiar with this secret realm and has rich experience in wilderness adventures. For the next period of time, everyone's route will be arranged by him."

Zuan was taken aback, not expecting her to entrust him with such an important task, but considering the unknown dangers on the way, he did not refuse.

But the others immediately objected:

"Why should we listen to his arrangements?"

"What qualifications does he have to command us?"

"There are so many people in the arena with higher cultivation levels than him, why should we listen to him?"

...

Bi Linglong snorted coldly: "Silence! What, now that we're inside the secret realm, my words no longer count?"

Those people repeatedly said they dared not.

Bi Linglong then said, "This matter is settled, there's no need to discuss it further! I know very well about Lord Zu's cultivation and level, and you will feel it for yourselves on the journey ahead, so I won't say any more. Let's set off!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!