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

Just then, footsteps came from the edge of the dense forest on the east side of the stone platform, and then a figure emerged from the shadows of the trees.

The man was tall and slender with delicate features. A long, thin, cyan sword hung at his waist. He walked with a composed gait. He was none other than Ling Feng, the Holy Son of the Tianlan Sect.

He walked to the edge of the stone platform, stopped, and glanced at the four people who were fighting. He spoke in a gentle tone, as if he were just dropping by.

"You guys are having a great time! The fight's so lively over there, why didn't you invite me?"

Zhao Heng paused slightly in his sword strike, shifting his gaze from Wang Long to Ling Feng, his tone tinged with coldness.

"Ling Feng, you certainly know how to pick your timing."

Ling Feng shrugged, his tone innocent.

"I was really just passing by. But since I'm here, I can't go back empty-handed."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the faint outlines of the flags on Wang Long and Ye Niannu's bodies, as if he were estimating something.

Wang Long noticed Ling Feng's gaze, but did not react immediately.

He merely turned his head slightly and exchanged a brief glance with Ye Niannu.

Ling Feng's appearance made the already tense battle situation even more delicate. While Zhao Heng was wary of Wang Long, he also had to keep an eye on Ling Feng's movements.

Ling Feng, on the other hand, maintained a seemingly leisurely demeanor, as if he were ready to make his move at any moment, or as if he were waiting for a more valuable opportunity.

Wang Qingyan also sensed the change in pressure. She slowed down her fight with Ye Niannu slightly and kept glancing at the figures around her.

Ye Niannu, however, seemed completely unaffected by these changes. Her swordplay remained as steady as ever, and she even accelerated her sword light in the instant Wang Qingyan was distracted, leaving a shallow scratch on her shoulder.

Wang Qingyan grunted and took two steps back. Her expression changed slightly, but she was not angry. Instead, she calmed down and readjusted her footwork.

In the midst of this delicate stalemate, Wang Long suddenly made a move that surprised everyone.

He sheathed his sword, took a half step back, and then nodded slightly to Zhao Heng.

"That's all for today. We can pick up the flag another day."

Before he finished speaking, he had already turned around and taken Ye Niannu's hand. The two of them moved like two fleeting shadows and quickly disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

Zhao Heng frowned slightly, but did not give chase. He stood there, watching the two figures quickly disappear into the shadows of the trees, and after a moment of silence, he murmured something.

"He doesn't linger in battle."

Ling Feng stood a few steps away, looking in the direction where Wang Long had disappeared. He narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled and released his hand from the hilt of his sword.

"interesting."

He didn't linger any longer, turned around and walked in the opposite direction, his pace still leisurely and unhurried.

They quickly disappeared into another dense forest.

Wang Qingyan covered the shallow sword mark on her shoulder, looked at Zhao Heng, and spoke with a hint of resentment.

"Are you just going to let them go like that?"

Zhao Heng slowly sheathed his long sword, his gaze fixed on the direction where Wang Long had disappeared, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of certainty.

"It's not that we're letting them go, it's that we can't keep them here now."

"The fact that he was able to escape unscathed shows that he still has the strength to spare. If we force him to stay, it might just allow Ling Feng to reap the benefits."

"Next time, he won't be able to escape."

Wang Long and Ye Niannu walked through the dense forest for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, until they were sure there were no pursuers behind them, and then they stopped in a secluded corner surrounded by giant trees.

Once they were sure they were safe, they smiled at each other, and Ye Niannu let out a soft breath.

"That was quite a lively scene just now."

"Um."

Wang Long nodded, but his eyes held a thoughtful expression.

"Zhao Heng and Ling Feng are both stronger than they were in the Spirit Realm. It seems they haven't been idle during this time."

Ye Niannu flexed her wrists, her tone revealing a hint of eager anticipation.

"Then next time we meet, we'll have to be more serious."

Wang Long glanced at her, but didn't reply. He simply reached out and gently patted her shoulder.

"Take a rest first, and recharge your energy before we talk about it."

Unbeknownst to them, on the other side of the dense forest, Yin Jiuyou was standing on a horizontal branch of a giant tree, peering through the gaps in the leaves and taking in their exact spot.

Liu Ruyan, standing beside him, folded her black umbrella and spoke calmly.

"They stopped."

Yin Jiuyou did not answer immediately, but looked in that direction, and after a moment a very faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"No rush, let them rest first."

On the viewing platform, the tense atmosphere in the Eastern Region viewing area eased slightly.

Song Tiange remained silent, but the fingers he had been holding behind his back had quietly loosened.

Ye Wushuang stood beside him, her gaze still fixed on the two golden dots on the map that were now pausing.

She didn't turn around, but her voice was a bit colder than before, carrying a sense of resolute composure.

"They won't let us down."

Song Tiange turned her head to look at her, a very faint smile appearing on her lips.

"Um."

The first round of the nationwide selection, day six.

There's one day left until the end.

The real battle is yet to come.

As night fell, the Sendai battlefield was shrouded in a deep blue sky.

Occasionally, a few short sounds of magical artifacts clashing could be heard in the distance, only to be quickly swallowed by the wind, like ripples on the surface of water.

The secluded corner that Wang Long and Ye Niannu chose was located in a depression surrounded by ancient trees. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which were soft and silent when stepped on. The branches and leaves overhead intertwined like a canopy, filtering the moonlight into fine spots of light.

Ye Niannu leaned against the gnarled roots of a giant tree, her eyes closed as if she were dozing. Her breathing was steady and long. The sword in her hand rested horizontally on her knee, her fingertips lightly touching the hilt. Her posture was relaxed, yet she could suddenly strike at any moment.

Wang Long sat on the tree root opposite her, his eyes also closed. Threads of spiritual energy silently spread out, covering an area of ​​nearly a hundred feet in radius around them, like a spider web spreading out in the water at night.

"The two people stopped about three hundred feet to our northwest."

Ye Niannu did not open her eyes, but whispered.

"They must be from the Kunyin Sect. They've been following us for almost half an hour."

Wang Long nodded without opening his eyes.

"Not only them, but there are two other auras to the east, seemingly from the Southern Region, that have been following from a distance without getting close."

The two were quiet for a while, and the wind rustled through the branches overhead.

Ye Niannu opened her eyes, her gaze falling on Wang Long's face with a serious expression.

"My lord, tomorrow is the last day."