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

Ye Niannu's voice carried a suppressed haze, her peach blossom eyes half-open and half-closed, as if she was enduring something, or as if she was anticipating something.

Wang Long didn't speak, but deliberately slowed down the flow of spiritual energy into her body, allowing the loosening shackles to prepare for the upcoming breakthrough in a more stable manner.

Ye Niannu felt the power become gentler, as if a pair of steady hands were supporting her back. She did not resist and followed the force to channel her spiritual power towards the cracking barrier.

boom.

A very soft, muffled sound came from deep within her body, like the sound of some heavy chain breaking.

The light blue light surrounding her body suddenly shone brightly for a moment, then quickly subsided, transforming into a more restrained yet more profound spiritual energy that flowed smoothly through her meridians.

"A breakthrough?"

"Um......"

Ye Niannu exhaled softly, her voice carrying a softness and languor unique to those who had just experienced a great shock, while the corners of her mouth curved upwards.

"Mid-stage Supreme Realm... It feels so good..."

"It's true, I need to cultivate with my husband more often to advance faster!"

As she spoke, she looked up at him. Moonlight fell on the corners of her eyes and lips, and the watery light from her breakthrough still lingered in her peach blossom eyes, sparkling brightly.

"My lord, shall we continue?"

She didn't say anything more, but simply rested her head on his shoulder, her breathing gradually becoming even and long.

Moonlight streamed through the window paper and fell on the edge of the bed, enveloping the two intertwined figures in a hazy, silvery-white light.

As night deepened, the sound of the wind passing through the bamboo forest became soft and distant.

She shifted to a more comfortable position, like a cat that had finally found its place, let out a soft sigh, and then fell completely quiet.

Wang Long looked down at her sleeping face, which still had a slight flush, and felt the spiritual power within his body that had become more harmonious and flowing due to dual cultivation. He felt at ease and at peace.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the window paper, falling on the edge of the bed and turning the dust particles floating in the air into pale golden specks.

When Wang Long opened his eyes, Ye Niannu was still resting her head on his shoulder, breathing long and even, with one arm draped over his chest, her fingertips slightly curled, her posture lazy and relaxed.

Her aura was even more restrained and profound than the night before. The spiritual energy fluctuations of the mid-stage Supreme Realm were like a still pool of water, calm on the surface but containing abundant power underneath.

Wang Long didn't move. He lay quietly for a while, feeling the spiritual energy within his body, which had become more harmonious and flowing due to dual cultivation, circulating smoothly. The feeling of fullness and clarity in his meridians made him feel a bit more relaxed.

Ye Niannu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and then she slowly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with the hazy feeling of someone just waking up. When she met Wang Long's gaze, her eyebrows curved, and her voice was soft and sweet, as if she had just woken up.

Good morning, my lord!

Wang Long reached out and tidied the stray hairs that had fallen across her forehead.

"How are you feeling?"

"Absolutely wonderful!"

Ye Niannu propped herself up, her long hair slipping down her shoulders, shimmering with a soft, light blue luster in the morning light.

She moved her wrists, sensing the power within her that was even more concentrated than the night before, and her peach blossom eyes were full of satisfaction.

"The mid-stage of the Supreme Realm is indeed different; the flow of spiritual energy is much smoother, and even my senses have become much sharper."

As she spoke, she turned her head to look at Wang Long, her tone tinged with curiosity.

"My lord, have you changed at all?"

Wang Long also sat up, felt the power within his body, and whispered.

"The spiritual energy is indeed more condensed, and the mental energy seems to be more closely integrated with the spiritual energy as well."

"That's the effect of dual cultivation!"

Ye Niannu smiled, her eyes crinkling, her tone tinged with smugness.

"Let's practice together more often in the future. Maybe I can break through another level before the second round starts."

Wang Long couldn't help but chuckle at her eager expression and gently pinched her cheek.

"Get up first, we have important things to do today."

As the two finished getting ready and stepped out of the courtyard, the morning light was just right, the spirit tree on the altar swayed gently in the breeze, and the air was filled with the fragrance of grass and trees.

The people from the Eastern Region had already gathered on the open viewing platform on the east side of Sendai. Several long tables were put together and filled with spiritual fruits, spiritual wines and various snacks. Although it was not luxurious, it had a simple and lively atmosphere.

When Zhou Yanzhi saw Wang Long and Ye Niannu approaching from afar, he quickly got up to greet them with a smile on his face.

"Holy Son Wang! Holy Daughter Ye! You've arrived! Please have a seat!"

He gestured for the two to sit in the main seats, then turned and called out to the others.

"Everyone's here! Let's begin!"

Everyone took their seats, and the atmosphere was warm and relaxed. Someone stood up with a wine glass in hand, raised it to Wang Long and Ye Niannu, and spoke with heartfelt emotion.

"In this round of competition, thanks to Saintly Son Wang and Saintess Ye, our Eastern Region was able to hold our heads high in front of the Four Great Regions! I toast you both!"

"That's right! In the past, when our Eastern Region participated in competitions, we were always eliminated in the first round without even making a splash. But this year, we've crushed first place with a whopping 48 points!"

"The expressions on the faces of those elders from the Central Region that I saw on the viewing platform were worse than if they'd swallowed flies!"

Everyone raised their glasses, and laughter and the clinking of glasses mingled together.

Wang Long also raised his glass, clinked it with everyone's, and said.

"This is the result of everyone's joint efforts; I dare not claim all the credit."

"Wang Shengzi is being modest!"

A young disciple sitting opposite him waved his hand, his tone sincere.

"Of the people left in our Eastern Region, very few will survive to the end. If it weren't for you and Saintess Ye holding the line, we would have been wiped out long ago."

Others echoed his sentiments.

"Yeah yeah!"

"Wang Shengzi, please don't refuse!"

"You deserve a large part of the credit for the Eastern Region's glory this time!"

Ye Niannu sat beside Wang Long, took a sip of the spirit fruit wine, and smiled as she watched the scene. She didn't say anything, but occasionally turned her head to look at Wang Long with a soft gaze.

After a few rounds of drinks, someone suddenly put down their glass and said in a low voice.

"Have you heard? Rumors seem to be circulating about the format for the second round of the competition."

Upon hearing this, everyone quieted down and turned their gazes to the person who had spoken.

The man cleared his throat and said in a low voice.

"Yesterday I met an elder from the Central Region west of Sendai. After having a few drinks, he casually mentioned that the second round would likely be a gauntlet tournament."

"A ring-style gauntlet? How exactly does it work?"

The man shook his head.

"The specific details haven't been finalized yet, but the general idea is that each major region will send contestants to the stage in turn. The winners will stay on the stage to continue accepting challenges, while the losers will be eliminated. Points will be awarded based on the number of people remaining on the stage and the number of wins. Each major region has a limit on the number of contestants that can participate. For example, our Eastern Region only has two people, which puts us at a disadvantage."

The group looked at each other, some of them frowning.

"A war of attrition? Doesn't that mean we only have two people from the Eastern Region, while the other side has hundreds taking turns fighting? They'll exhaust us to death!"

"Isn't this just taking advantage of the fact that we're outnumbered!"