Husband's Authority

Governor's Mansion, Storm Port

Morning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the 888th floor of the Governor's Mansion, bathing the dining hall in a warm, golden glow.

Beneath the arched dome hung three crystal chandeliers, refracting light into tiny, glittering shards that made the silver tableware on the long table shine brilliantly.

Tang Ping leaned back in his carved mahogany chair, his posture steady and relaxed. Though his fingers remained still, three pairs of silver chopsticks danced nimbly under the control of his Spiritual Telekinesis: one pair picked up a piece of amber-colored Roasted Star-Beast Leg, another scooped up a spoonful of creamy Spirit Mushroom Soup, and the third delivered a crisp piece of Interstellar Vegetables into his mouth.

Over thirty dishes were spread across the long table, steam rising in swirls. There were free-range chickens and black pork flown in from Earth, alongside interstellar-cultivated Purple Leaf Vegetable and Golden Pearl Fruit. Beside each dish sat a small jade bowl filled with a light red medicinal broth.

It was a modified version of the "Spirit Condensing Dew" from the Rare Treasure Shop; it tasted slightly sweet and not only enhanced the flavor of the food but also slowly nourished one's Origin Force.

"This is what you call enjoying life." Tang Ping chewed the tender chicken, his mood brightening further.

These ingredients were all grown or raised by farmers recruited from Earth in the areas surrounding Storm Port. The cost of this single meal alone exceeded a hundred thousand Silver Blue Coins—a figure that would have been unimaginable in the past, but now, it didn't even cover the daily interest in his account.

He was using his telekinesis to maneuver a knife and fork to cut the roasted suckling pig on his plate when he heard the crisp sound of metal boots striking the marble floor.

Looking up, he saw Luo Xiaoyu walk in from a side door, clutching a silver-white spear. The young woman wore a tight-fitting white combat suit that accentuated her tall, lithe figure. Her long hair was tied high, and her features carried a touch of rigid coldness. The lingering aura of her cultivation practice still swirled around her, as icy as a glacier.

"Lord Governor!" The maids and servants standing by bowed respectfully, their voices hushed.

Luo Xiaoyu waved her hand, and the staff retreated to the hallway with practiced coordination, gently closing the hall doors behind them and leaving the two alone in the vast, empty space.

Luo Xiaoyu walked to the long table, her gaze fixed on Tang Ping, her oval face full of curiosity.

In the past, whenever this man saw her, his eyes would dart around evasively, looking cowardly. He would always make excuses like "I'm not in the right state today," "I'm too tired," or "You're too fast, I'm nervous." Every time, she had to wait for him to swallow several stamina-replenishing pills before he dared to put up a fight.

But today, Tang Ping sat motionless as a mountain, a hint of undisguised provocation in his eyes, like a hunter waiting for his prey to take the bait.

Did he take his medicine early? Luo Xiaoyu wondered to herself, feeling a bit puzzled.

How did he know she would be finishing her seclusion today?

However, she quickly pushed the doubt aside. The battle intent she had accumulated during her cultivation was at its peak, and she needed an opponent to vent it. She stopped, the icy aura around her intensifying, and said coolly, "Treat my illness."

At these words, Tang Ping grinned. He pressed a button on the control panel at the corner of the table with his fingertip. With a soft "pop," the dark velvet curtains hanging around the hall slowly descended, completely blocking out the morning light and leaving only the warm glow of the wall lamps.

The heavy alloy doors also sealed shut with a dull "click," isolating everything from the outside world.

"Come and fight!" He stood up, wind and thunder energy faintly surging around him, his battle intent not a whit inferior to hers.

A moment later, the sound of violent collisions erupted in the hall, accompanied by the sharp whistle of a spear piercing the air, the roar of clashing energy, and the occasional crunch of shattering furniture.

The maids and servants outside the door shook their heads helplessly when they heard the commotion, picking up their cleaning tools and moving further away.

"It's started again. They tear the hall to pieces every time." An older maid complained in a low voice, though her tone held a hint of amusement. "Still, it's not all bad. We can take the discarded furniture and appliances to the lower city to sell; it's enough to cover our living expenses for several months."

Another young maid nodded in agreement. "Exactly. That crystal lamp from last time—even though a few corners were broken, the wealthy merchants in the lower city fought over it. We all got a good share from that."

They shared a smile and stopped paying attention to the noise inside. After all, every time their "sparring" ended, the Governor's Mansion would be refurnished with even more exquisite pieces, and they could take the opportunity to earn some extra cash. Why complain?

"Let them wreck it, the more chaotic, the better," someone muttered, turning to prepare the cleaning supplies.

Ten hours later, the commotion in the hall finally subsided.

Luo Xiaoyu was pinned firmly beneath him, and she felt the power radiating from Tang Ping with a sense of shock.

In the past, she only needed to exert a little effort to easily suppress him. Today, he seemed like a different person; not only had his strength surged, but he could also precisely control his wind and thunder domain, neutralizing her attacks one by one.

"What kind of potent medicine did he take to be this fierce?" She couldn't help but look at Tang Ping with concern, fearing that he had taken some forbidden drug that would damage his body just to win, leaving him with long-term health issues at such a young age.

Tang Ping seemed to read her mind. He spat out a lukewarm, light-blue pill from the corner of his mouth—the most common "Spirit Recovery Pill" from the Rare Treasure Shop, which only replenished spiritual energy and Origin Force with no side effects.

He tilted his chin, his tone filled with triumph. "Convinced? This isn't thanks to medicine; it's the result of my training during this period, plus a little bit of my 'insignificant' talent."

Luo Xiaoyu was silent for a moment. She suddenly exerted force to push him away, flipped over to stand up, grabbed her spear from the side, and walked toward the training room with an expressionless face.

Tang Ping stood there, stunned, and quickly called out, "Wife, where are you going?" He was still waiting to "press his advantage," so why was she just walking away?

Luo Xiaoyu didn't look back, her voice drifting through the air: "Cultivation. My only opponent used to be myself, but now there's you. Next time, I will definitely defeat you.

I, Luo Xiaoyu, am not inferior to anyone!"

Before she finished speaking, her figure had already disappeared at the end of the corridor.

"Sigh..." Tang Ping looked at the empty hall and sighed helplessly.

His wife was perfect in every way, except that she was too obsessed with cultivation. She didn't even offer a word of praise after winning, just ran off to seclude herself.

"I should have held back a little," he muttered, rubbing his nose, feeling a mix of frustration and amusement.

The worst part was that he hadn't even gotten to the main event yet!

In the end, Tang Ping sighed and pressed the communication button on his light computer. "Come in and clean up." The servants outside had been waiting for a long time; hearing the command, they filed in with their cleaning tools.

The head maid looked at the wreckage—shards of the crystal chandelier scattered on the carpet, a broken leg on a carved mahogany chair, the silver tableware on the long table mostly overturned, and dark stains of medicinal broth spreading across the tablecloth. She couldn't help but tease, "Lord Governor, the intensity of your 'sparring' with the Lady is even greater than last time."

Tang Ping didn't feel the least bit embarrassed. "Thank you all for your hard work. Go to the accounting office and collect double wages after you finish cleaning."

"Thank you, Lord Governor!" The servants beamed with joy, their movements becoming much more efficient.

Tang Ping watched the busy crowd and turned to walk quickly toward the training room. Having tasted the joy of "asserting his authority as a husband" for the first time, he was filled with drive, his footsteps even lighter than usual.

Stepping into the training room, he immediately connected to the Virtual Universe and selected the highest difficulty training mode.

Even as his body collapsed time and again from the overexertion of his secret techniques, and his consciousness returned to the virtual respawn point, he only laughed more heartily.

After every respawn, he could clearly feel his control over the wind and thunder domain growing stronger, and the fusion of his spiritual telekinesis and physical strength becoming even more seamless.

The most crucial part was the proficiency +1.

A week later, the door to the training room slowly opened, and Luo Xiaoyu walked out with a grave expression.

She had been in seclusion for seven days, not only consolidating her Star Rank realm but also bringing her spear technique to a new level. She had thought she could easily win back a round, but when she "dueled" Tang Ping again, she was still suppressed by his Wind-Thunder Fusion Domain, even having her spear knocked from her grasp.

Unconvinced, Luo Xiaoyu pulled up Tang Ping's training records. When she saw that he collapsed dozens of times every day in the virtual space and only rested for two hours before continuing his training, she fell silent.

Without saying another word, she turned back into the training room and adjusted the training intensity to the absolute limit she could withstand.

What Tang Ping could do, she could do too!

Seeing Luo Xiaoyu working so hard, Tang Ping naturally refused to fall behind. The two of them thus began a silent competition.

Seven days of training, one hour of sleep—even the King of Hell would praise my sturdy body!

Yet, even so, the anxiety in Luo Xiaoyu's heart grew heavier. After all, she was already at the Star Rank; strength improvements at this realm were typically calculated in years, and even with the highest-grade Force Meal Package, it would take months to see any significant progress.

Tang Ping, however, was still at the Planetary Rank, a stage of rapid growth. Coupled with his rare domain fusion ability, the gap between the two not only failed to shrink but was gradually widening.

After another failed "duel," Luo Xiaoyu looked at Tang Ping's high-spirited appearance, bit her lip, turned around, and walked into the training room, locking the door tight behind her.

In the days that followed, she simply devoted herself to seclusion. Aside from necessary meals and rest, she barely stepped out, and even when Tang Ping took the initiative to invite her to dine, she only had a maid relay the message that "training is what matters."

Tang Ping stood outside the training room door, listening to the sound of the spear piercing the air from within, and was completely dumbfounded.

Is the game over?