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

Wang Long stood at the edge of the formation, his gaze fixed on the array patterns that were being reactivated.

As the Heavenly Stone was embedded, the originally dim patterns gradually regained their brightness, radiating a warm glow, as if they had been infused with new blood.

In the center of the array pattern, a crack about ten feet long was being repaired by several array masters working together. The eldest array master squatted at the edge of the crack, holding a slender carving knife in his hand, carefully filling it with new Heavenly Stone powder along the direction of the crack.

His movements were extremely focused, each strike precise and steady, as if he were wrestling silently with some unseen force.

Just then, a low, muffled tremor suddenly came from the depths of the crack, as if something was slowly moving on the other side of the crack.

Immediately afterwards, a thick black mist gushed out from the cracks, carrying a putrid and foul odor that instantly spread throughout the area.

The array master closest to the crack suddenly took half a step back, almost dropping the carving knife from his hand, and his face turned deathly pale in that instant.

The black mist churned in mid-air for a few breaths, vaguely condensing into a blurry outline, like a distorted face that opened its mouth and let out a silent roar before dissipating into the air.

But the roar seemed to resonate deep within everyone's consciousness, carrying a chill that penetrated to the bone.

Wang Long's fingers tightened slightly. He could feel the malice contained in that black aura, which was even stronger than the man-made cracks he had encountered in the Northern Mountains. It carried a sense of oppression that seemed to seep up from an extremely deep and distant source.

Old Liu had already walked quickly to the edge of the crack, squatted down to examine it for a moment, his expression became even more solemn, and his voice was tense and suppressed.

"It's the resonance and vibration of the core of the seal. The structure inside the crack has loosened slightly again. Although the Heavenly Stone has filled the gap, that power is constantly trying to seep out from the crack. Once the supply is insufficient, the black mist will spread."

Song Tiange stood a few steps away, staring intently at the crack that was being reinforced. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice.

"Without these Heavenly Stones, this crack probably wouldn't have survived the next resonance tremor."

Wang Long didn't speak, but his gaze was fixed on the rune lines that were being repaired.

He could sense that although the black energy seeping from the depths of the crack was temporarily suppressed, it had not truly dissipated; it had simply retreated back into the depths of the crack.

It's as if they're gathering strength, waiting for the next counterattack.

Song Tiange walked to Wang Long's side, her voice a few decibels lower than before.

"This is the true burden of Tianque City. The beast tide is not just the magical beasts on the ground; those are merely the surface."

"The real root cause is this seal. If the seal completely collapses, what is blocked on the other side will not be as simple as a few Saint-level magical beasts."

Wang Long did not look away. He could feel the warm light deep in his mind move slightly, as if it had been gently touched by something, before quickly returning to silence.

He remained silent for a few moments before slowly speaking.

"Is that black energy... eroding the foundation of the seal?"

Song Tiange nodded, his voice unusually solemn.

"They keep eroding, they never stop."

The light in the underground space gradually became brighter and more stable as it was filled with the Heavenly Stone. The array masters buried themselves in their repair work again, and the soft rustling sound of their carving knives touching the array patterns became the only continuous background noise in this silent space.

Wang Long stood at the edge of the formation and watched for a long time.

Inside the door to see the door, the layman to watch the fun.

Wang Long knew nothing about formations, but he hoped he could become proficient in them so he could contribute.

Ye Niannu stood quietly beside him. Neither of them spoke, yet both could feel the rhythmic tremor emanating from the depths of the crack, like a heartbeat.

The night wind surged up from the depths of the earth, carrying a chill that did not belong to this world.

Song Tiange withdrew her gaze, her voice calm yet carrying an unwavering certainty.

"Let's go. There are still many things to take care of up there. They will do their best to hold this place."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked up the stone steps he had come from, his steps steady and composed.

Wang Long took one last look at the crack that was being repaired, then turned around and followed Song Tiange with Ye Niannu.

The spiritual light on both sides of the stone steps slowly lengthened behind them, casting three figures onto the damp, cold wall.

Deep within the underground space, a faint wisp of black energy seeped out from the crack, but it was quickly suppressed by the light of the newly embedded Heavenly Stone.

The breeze in the corridor was a bit warmer than before.

Song Tiange walked ahead, her pace neither hurried nor slow, her voice carrying a hint of relaxed weariness.

"Get some rest tonight, we can talk about other things tomorrow."

Wang Long nodded without saying anything more.

Ye Niannu followed beside him, and after a few steps, she suddenly whispered something.

"Those black wisps... they don't feel like ordinary evil energy, they feel more like something conscious."

Wang Long remained silent for a moment.

"Yes, I felt it too."

It was getting late, so Song Tiange chatted with the two of them for a few more minutes before getting up and leaving.

The guest room was already prepared, and the two of them walked hand in hand to the place arranged by Song Tiange.

The guest rooms in the city lord's mansion were simply yet elegantly furnished. A calming incense stick burned on a low table by the window, its smoke curling upwards and carrying a faint scent of herbs and wood.

Wang Long sat down on the edge of the bed, but did not lie down to rest immediately.

The lingering black energy he had sensed at the underground seal felt like a fine needle, constantly pricking the depths of his consciousness, causing a dull ache.

He closed his eyes and tried to circulate his mental energy.

The fine, silk-like power forged in the spiritual realm was now flowing through his sea of ​​consciousness at an extremely stable speed, like carefully combed streams, converging, branching out, and converging again, in an endless cycle.

"Um?"

Wang Long suddenly opened his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly.

He sensed something was amiss.

Those spiritual energies were no longer simply circulating in the sea of ​​consciousness; they were resonating with the spiritual energy in the dantian.

Like two rivers that were originally going their separate ways, they suddenly discovered each other's existence and are tentatively approaching each other.

He raised his hand, palm facing up, and a wisp of golden literary energy appeared in his palm, followed by a wisp of silver-white spiritual energy that coiled around it.

The two intertwined slowly in his palm, but instead of repelling each other or going their own way as before.

They are merging in a way that has never been seen before.

Ye Niannu had just sat down by the window and was reaching out to untie the ribbon binding her hair when she saw him like this, and her movements paused slightly.

"My lord?"

"I feel... I'm about to break through."