The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

Wang Long also understood the value of this city lord's token; he had many tokens bestowed upon him by various people.

This city lord's token is second only to the token given to him by the Azure Emperor.

Wang Long respectfully accepted the token with both hands; it felt heavy and slightly cool to the touch.

He raised his head, looked at Song Tiange, and bowed.

"Thank you very much, Lord City Lord!"

Song Tiange nodded and added.

"After careful consideration, I have decided that the reward for the Great Qian Dynasty will be placed under the protection of Tianque City."

"No tribute is required. If you encounter any difficulties, you may inform the city lord at any time."

Wang Long's eyes lit up instantly upon hearing this.

Tianque City is now the most powerful force in the Eastern Region. From now on, the Great Qian will no longer be a small country confined to a corner of the world.

Instead, it has become a regional superpower with an extremely strong backing!

From then on, offense and defense became easily interchangeable.

The Great Qian Dynasty no longer needs to fear the covetous eyes of its neighboring countries!

Wang Long bowed again.

Song Tiange smiled and waved his hand, then turned and walked back to the platform without saying anything more.

The crowd in the square looked at Wang Long with a mixture of envy and admiration.

They felt that Wang Long deserved these rewards for everything he had done!

One hundred thousand Heavenly Stones are enough to maintain the Heavenly City's formation for several hundred years!

Wang Long put away the token and walked down the platform side by side with Xu Wanyun.

Behind them, the ceremony of handing over the Heavenly Stone continued.

But everyone's eyes remained fixed on them, and they didn't look away for a long time.

Shen Qianqiu greeted him with a smile and patted Wang Long on the shoulder forcefully.

"Brother Wang! You've really given Dean Wenxin a lot of face this time!"

"The City Lord's Decree! Elder's authority! Throughout the entire Eastern Region, only a handful of people possess this honor!"

Wang Long smiled and shook his head.

"Brother Shen is too kind; it's just the city lord's flattery."

Shen Qianqiu laughed and his gaze fell on Qin Jiaojiao.

"Jiaojiao, with your father being so powerful, no one will dare to bully you at the academy from now on!"

Qin Jiaojiao stood with her hands on her hips, her chin slightly raised, a smug look on her face.

"No one has ever dared to bully this heroine before!"

After all, she was the class leader before.

Wang Long held Qin Jiaojiao's hand and walked side by side with Xu Wanyun towards the outside of the square.

Behind him, the contestants he had saved were still discussing the matter.

"From this day forward, the name Wang Long will likely be known throughout the entire Eastern Region!"

"Indeed! A half-saint realm, 100,000 Heavenly Stones, and a City Lord's Token—this achievement is enough to make him famous for all time!"

"Our great Zhao Dynasty owes him an immense favor!"

"My Great Xia Dynasty is one of them!"

"If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely visit you in person to express my gratitude!"

Wang Long left those words far behind.

He knew that from this day forward, his name would resound throughout the Eastern Region.

Countless eyes will be on him, and countless hands will reach out to him.

Some people will try to win him over, some will respect him, and some will be jealous of him.

But whatever awaits him ahead.

He will always forge ahead.

The crowd in the square gradually dispersed, but the liveliness around Wang Long and his group did not diminish at all.

Shen Qianqiu walked at the front, her steps light and quick.

His white beard twitched with each step, and his face was beaming with an irrepressible smile.

"Brother Wang, when we get back today, I'm going to have a proper celebration for you!"

He looked back at Wang Long, who seemed decades younger.

"You have no idea how much honor you've brought to our Wenxin Academy with this victory!"

Qin Jiaojiao, holding Wang Long's hand, skipped and hopped along beside him, chuckling.

"Dean, will you bring out some of your treasured ingredients?"

Shen Qianqiu burst into laughter.

"I've had that spirit sheep in the academy slaughtered and made into soup!"

"And that jar of osmanthus wine, buried for three hundred years, was opened today too!"

The group chatted and laughed, and soon returned to Wenxin Academy.

The news arrived even faster than they did.

As soon as I stepped into the mountain gate, a disciple rushed over to deliver the news, his face full of excitement.

"Dean! Dean! Many powerful forces have sent gifts to Instructor Wang!"

"There's a huge pile at the mountain gate, full of spirit stones, pills, and magical artifacts!"

"And... several heads of families came in person, saying they wanted to thank Mr. Wang in person!"

Shen Qianqiu stroked his beard and looked at Wang Long with a smile.

"Brother Wang, look, we haven't even entered the door yet, and a thank-you gift has already been delivered."

Wang Long shook his head with a wry smile.

"I did it on a whim; they didn't need to go to such lengths."

Shen Qianqiu waved his hand.

"You did something simple and saved someone's life; they'll remember you for a lifetime."

"The most valuable thing in this world is human kindness."

"By saving those thousands of people, you've secured the favor of thousands of families."

"These will all be your assets in the future."

Wang Long didn't speak, but he knew in his heart that Shen Qianqiu was right.

In this dog-eat-dog world, besides one's own strength, connections and reputation are equally important.

This battle not only earned him fame, but also countless potential allies.

As the group passed through the mountain gate, they indeed saw that the entrance was piled high with various gift boxes and storage bags.

The red and green colors, the dazzling array, resembled a small mountain.

The disciples guarding the gate were busy tidying up when they saw Shen Qianqiu and Wang Long, and they quickly bowed and paid their respects.

"Dean! Mr. Wang! There are just too many of these; we disciples don't know where to put them."

Shen Qianqiu waved his hand.

"Move everything inside!"

The disciples responded and immediately began to move the items.

Looking at the mountain of thank-you gifts, Wang Long couldn't help but shake his head.

These favors will likely need to be repaid in the future.

But he did not reject it.

Only through give and take can the road ahead become wider and wider.

Night falls.

The square in front of Minglun Hall was brightly lit.

Dozens of tables were lined up in a row, and the tables were filled with all kinds of dishes.

There was stewed mutton until tender, roasted deer leg until golden brown and crispy, steamed fish, and braised chicken.

There are also all kinds of spiritual fruits, spiritual wines, and spiritual teas, a dazzling array, and their aromas are irresistible.

The entire square was filled with the rich aroma of fireworks.

The teachers and students of Wenxin Academy sat around the table, their faces beaming with joy and excitement.

They usually bury themselves in their studies and cultivation, and rarely have such lively occasions.

Tonight, under the guise of celebrating Wang Long's victory, I can finally relax a bit.

Shen Qianqiu sat in the main seat, holding a wine glass, smiling broadly as he looked around, his face glowing.

"Everyone!"

He stood up, his voice booming, echoing across the square.

"Today, I have three joyous occasions!"

"Great news! Brother Wang has returned safely!"

"Secondly, Brother Wang has been granted the City Lord's Order!"

"Sanxi, our Wenxin Academy has produced another demigod!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause and cheers erupted in the square.

Congratulations, Mr. Wang!

"Mr. Wang is awesome!"

"Long live Wenxin Academy!"

Wang Long sat next to Shen Qianqiu, feeling a little embarrassed by the teasing from everyone.

He picked up his wine glass, stood up, and raised it to everyone.

"Thank you all for your hospitality. I'll drink this first as a sign of my respect!"

Having said that, he drank it all in one gulp.

The Primordial Holy Palace.

Ye Niannu spent her days cultivating, and the past two months had been incredibly boring.

She stared blankly at the top of the cave, muttering to herself.

"This period of dynastic rivalry should be over by now. I wonder how my lord is doing..."