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

clang!

A crisp metallic clang rang out, and the man with the red sword felt a sudden numbness in his hand, nearly dropping his long sword. He was thrown back several steps by the impact.

Wang Long gave him no chance to catch his breath, and with a stomp of his foot, he created a shallow crater in the ground.

His figure was like a gray lightning bolt, instantly rushing in front of his opponent, bending his elbow and hitting the red-bladed man in the chest.

Before the man could even utter a groan, he was sent flying backward and crashed heavily onto a rock.

He slipped and fell to the ground, unable to get up for a while.

Upon seeing this, his companion's pupils contracted sharply. He flipped his double halberds, roared, and thrust them straight at him from the side and rear, carrying with him violent spiritual power!

Wang Long didn't turn around, but simply took half a step to the side. He spread his left hand and a fine thread of spiritual energy shot out silently from his fingertip, like an invisible rope, precisely wrapping around the man's ankle.

The man felt his foot trip, and he suddenly lost his balance. The momentum of his charge carried him to the ground, and his double halberds plowed two deep furrows in the mud.

Before he could regain his footing, a short sword formed from spiritual energy and gleaming with a pale golden light was already pressed against the back of his neck.

The tip of the short sword was less than an inch from his skin, and the sword energy trembled slightly, raising a fine layer of goosebumps on the side of his neck.

His movements suddenly froze, as if he had been frozen in place, and he dared not move an inch.

Wang Long stood behind him, his breathing steady.

"Hand it over!"

The man lay on the ground, his body stiff, cold sweat dripping down his face and onto the soil.

The red-knife-wielding man, who had been thrown away, struggled to his feet from the edge of the rock, clutching his chest, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

He tried to lift the crimson longsword again, but found that his wrist was still numb and his spiritual energy was not flowing smoothly, as if the previous attack had disrupted his meridians.

He looked at Wang Long's calm face, then at his companion's predicament of being restrained and unable to move. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally gritted his teeth and uttered those words.

"The flag...I'm returning it to you."

Wang Long did not immediately release his mental energy short sword. He glanced at the man and spoke in a calm tone.

"This child is teachable and will suffer little physical pain."

The man with the red knife was taken aback at first, then his expression turned even more unpleasant.

He glanced at the flag that originally belonged to Chen Yuanzhi in his companion's arms, and then at the trophy in his own arms that he hadn't even had time to warm up.

His lips twitched several times, but he finally gritted his teeth and threw the flag onto the grass in front of Wang Long.

"Pick it up! I'll let you pick it up!"

Wang Long shouted coldly upon seeing this.

The man was so frightened that he picked up the flag, raised it with both hands, and respectfully handed it to Wang Long.

Wang Long's spiritual energy short sword dissipated, and he accepted it with a smile.

He turned and walked back the way he came, his steps unhurried, and soon disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

The two cultivators from the Southern Region stood there, looking at each other with extremely grim expressions.

The man with the red knife clutched his chest and it took him a long time to manage to utter a single sentence.

"...To hell with the Eastern Region! What the hell is this Eastern Region?"

"When did the people of the Eastern Region become so strong?"

On the viewing platform, the smile on the face of the Southern Region team leader had completely frozen. The corners of his mouth still retained the smug curve from before, but it looked somewhat stiff.

Ye Wushuang stood in the Eastern Region's viewing area, her cold face still calm, but the hand that had been clenched in her sleeve had quietly loosened.

Song Tiange let out a long breath and muttered to himself.

"That Wang Long, he really made us worry for nothing."

Chen Yuanzhi's injuries had mostly healed thanks to the medicine, and he was leaning against the roots of an old tree, circulating his spiritual energy.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up abruptly and saw Wang Long's figure emerge from the woods. He was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"King Shengzi! You're back!"

He struggled to stand up, the movement aggravating his wound, causing him to wince in pain, but he still forced himself to stand up.

He glanced at Wang Long, making sure he wasn't injured, before letting out a sigh of relief.

Wang Long walked up to him, said nothing, and simply handed him the flag.

"Here you go."

Chen Yuanzhi stared at the flag, frozen in place. He opened his mouth, and after a long while, he finally managed to utter a sound filled with disbelief.

"This...this is my flag?"

"What else? Did you pick it up on the street?"

Chen Yuanzhi quickly reached out and took the flag, his fingertips stroking the familiar patterns on its surface. The touch was warm and real; it was indeed his flag.

He was somewhat touched, not expecting Wang Long to return the flag to him.

but……

"Sage King, I cannot accept this flag."

Wang Long raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at him with some surprise.

Chen Yuanzhi, however, had already handed the flag back, his gaze serious and resolute.

"You saved me by taking the flag back. Although I, Chen Yuanzhi, am not strong enough, I still have that much self-awareness."

"If the flag is left on me for these seven days, it will be stolen sooner or later, and then you will have to go and get it back."

"The flag is safest when it's in your hands. As long as you keep the flag, there is hope for our Eastern Region."

"All I need to do is protect myself and survive for seven days in peace."

He spoke sincerely, without a trace of reluctance in his tone, clearly having given it serious consideration.

Wang Long looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and did not immediately respond.

He could sense the sincerity in the other person's words, a conscious choice made after careful consideration.

Wang Long did not hesitate to accept the flag and put it in his pocket.

"So, how do you plan to spend these seven days?"

Chen Yuanzhi thought for a moment and pointed to the more rugged, shrub-covered hillside behind him.

"I plan to hide over there, find a secluded cave or tree hollow to hide in. No matter how fierce the fighting is outside, it has nothing to do with me."

"I'll leave once the seven days are over."

Wang Long nodded and didn't say anything more.

"Then good luck!"

"Thank you, Holy Son Wang!"

Chen Zhiyuan clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"No need for thanks, just focus on protecting yourself."

After Wang Long finished speaking, he didn't linger and turned to walk in the opposite direction from Chen Yuanzhi.

The next moment, it disappeared from the spot.

Chen Yuanzhi stood there watching his gray figure gradually disappear into the distance through the woods, and murmured.

"Wang Shengzi, you must hold on..."

He took a deep breath, turned and walked toward the bushy hillside, quickly disappearing into the dense forest.

Wang Long passed through several dense forests and two mountain ridges, encountering several contestants from the Eastern Region along the way.

Someone was hiding in a crevice, cautiously observing their surroundings. They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw it was Wang Long.

Someone was moving cautiously along the stream. Upon hearing the noise, they instinctively placed their hand on their weapon, but quickly released it after recognizing Wang Long.

"King Shengzi".

"Wang Shengzi, how's the situation on your end?"