If it were daytime and viewed from above, one would notice that the two white shadows were moving the fastest, followed by a dark shadow. Although the four shadows didn't leave at the exact same moment, they were slowly closing the distance.

Upon reaching the summit, the four shadows finally converged, almost simultaneously. "Long Feng, take this punch!"

Before even fully stopping, Zhang Yang threw a punch at Long Feng. He used only thirty percent of his strength, and the target was nowhere near vital. Long Feng was re-cultivating; the gap in their strength was immense. Zhang Yang wasn't sure how much Long Feng had recovered, but it was better to be cautious and avoid accidentally injuring him.

"Bang!"

To Zhang Yang's surprise, Long Feng actually raised his fist and met Zhang Yang's strike head-on. Zhang Yang didn't budge an inch, but Long Feng stumbled back several steps.

With just that single impact, Zhang Yang's eyes tightened, disbelief blazing within them. "Late Second Layer? Impossible!"

Zhang Yang blurted out in shock. From that brief collision, he instantly sensed Long Feng's true strength. In just over a month, Long Feng had leaped two entire levels, reaching the realm of the Late Second Layer.

The Late Second Layer—that was the boundary Long Feng held before losing his inner strength. This meant that in less than three months, Long Feng had made a complete recovery.

His Late Second Layer was still unstable now, but he had reached it. Give him a little more time to stabilize, and he would be equal to his strength from three months ago. Three months—just three months for a complete recovery. This was several times faster than Zhang Yang had predicted it would take a year, which explained Zhang Yang's astonishment.

"Haha, nothing is impossible. You haven't cultivated this technique, so you can't grasp its profound mystery—!"

Although Long Feng had been forced back by the direct clash, his heart swelled with elation. He hadn't expected to recover to the Late Second Layer so quickly himself. This meant his trip home at the end of the year wouldn't be jeopardized, nor would the family's major assessment.

The key to his rapid recovery was that supreme-grade cultivation technique. That technique was designed for 'breaking before establishing anew,' and re-cultivating with it doubled the speed. Coupled with the premium spiritual medicines Zhang Yang provided and the residual medicinal power accumulated from Wu Ying's previous bites, he could restore his strength in just three months. He had chosen to exit seclusion immediately upon hitting the Late Second Layer, so his excitement at reaching it so soon was immeasurable.

"Long Feng, congratulations!"

After hearing Long Feng's explanation, Zhang Yang offered his sincere blessing. Long Feng's recovery was the thing that made Zhang Yang happiest, as Long Feng's current state was entirely his doing. It was because Zhang Yang forcefully tried to stop Zhang Yunan to create an escape opportunity that Long Feng had used the Dragon Transformation Art—a technique strictly forbidden by his family. The Dragon Transformation Art, or Hua Long Gong, where 'Dragon Transformation' meant death upon completion, was too tyrannical to be used carelessly.

"Thank you, Zhang Yang!"

Long Feng grinned widely, his gratitude toward Zhang Yang genuine. Without Zhang Yang's unlimited supply of spiritual medicines, he couldn't have recovered so fast. Without Zhang Yang's relationship with Zhang Yunan, he never would have obtained that supreme-grade mental cultivation method.

A blessing in disguise—though he had lost his inner strength once, re-cultivating made all his abilities far surpass their previous level, especially his speed. If Zhang Yang hadn't been continuously boosting his own speed recently, he might not even be able to catch up to him now. Reaching the Late Second Layer yet possessing the speed to contend with a Late Third Layer expert—this technique was undeniably monstrous.

"Why are you being so polite with me!"

Zhang Yang chuckled, then added, "Congratulations on exiting seclusion. Let's spar a few rounds. Lightning can help you, but Wu Ying must watch from the sidelines!"

Long Feng had just recovered, and his realm wasn't fully stable; sparring would benefit him. Having his Late Third Layer self directly contend with Long Feng looked like bullying, considering the full layer difference. Adding Lightning changed things; Lightning was already capable of fighting seasoned Late Third Layer masters. However, Zhang Yang absolutely refused to include Wu Ying. Lightning and Wu Ying together were already a handful; if Long Feng were added, the eventual loser might be him.

"Squeak squeak squeak!" "Chirp chirp chirp!"

The two little creatures instantly cried out. Lightning expressed excitement, while Wu Ying registered a protest. Wu Ying had malicious intentions. It and Lightning might not defeat Zhang Yang alone, but with Long Feng involved, the outcome could change. Long Feng's strength was, after all, Late Second Layer, and he could offer real help. Furthermore, Long Feng's speed was great, allowing him to defend even if Zhang Yang attacked him now. The three combined would surely be much stronger than the two of them working together last time. Unfortunately, Zhang Yang denied him participation, leaving Wu Ying to protest with cries.

"Protest denied. That's final. Come on!"

Zhang Yang called out with a smirk to Wu Ying, immediately engaging Lightning and Long Feng in a fierce entanglement. Long Feng was currently slightly stronger than before, particularly due to his significantly increased speed, which compensated for one of his previous major flaws. Even if Zhang Yang wanted to pick the easiest target, it wouldn't be easy to reach. Even if he managed to reach one, he would inevitably be attacked by Lightning. In this scenario, Zhang Yang could only prioritize self-preservation before seeking opportunities to attack. After fighting for a while, he was even more relieved that Wu Ying wasn't participating. A three-on-one situation would guarantee his defeat.

After a fierce confrontation, they finally stopped to rest as dawn broke. This spar ended without a victor. Yet, Zhang Yang was immensely happy. Each of them was growing, advancing. His confidence soared; with the two of them and the two beasts fighting together, they no longer feared even a Fourth Layer master of inner strength. They now definitely possessed the capital to contend with a Fourth Layer expert.

Watching Zhang Yang, Long Feng also smiled. He felt gratitude toward that elder in the family for assigning him this mission; otherwise, how could he have met Zhang Yang? If he hadn't met Zhang Yang and made that bet, he wouldn't have stayed by Zhang Yang's side and certainly wouldn't have gained such a massive opportunity. He no longer cared about that wager; his relationship with Zhang Yang was no longer forged by a forced contract. They were now friends who would face life and death together—the best of friends. Of course, Long Feng’s gains far exceeded the single spiritual medicine promised in the bet.

Returning to the villa, both men took long, satisfying showers in their respective rooms. Long Feng exiting seclusion was cause for joy, and his restored strength was cause for double happiness. After breakfast, Zhang Yang and Long Feng discussed inner strength cultivation together. Long Feng's insights from cultivating the supreme-grade technique provided Zhang Yang with considerable inspiration. This time, they made an exception and allowed Qu Meilan to listen in. Qu Meilan's behavior lately had been excellent; she was obedient and recognized her place. Zhang Yang never shortchanged those who listened to him. Preliminary observation suggested Qu Meilan had passed the test and could remain by their side permanently. Since she was staying, she was one of them. Zhang Yang was never stingy with his own people, especially since Qu Meilan's strength was considerable and could offer him some help.

Sitting beside them, Qu Meilan felt a surge of excitement. Sweet success after bitterness: the two finally allowed her access to cultivation knowledge. That had been part of her goal when she first followed them—to see if she could improve her own strength. For a cultivator, her age was not young; reaching the Second Layer was a luxury, but moving from the Early First Layer to Mid, and then to Late, was definitely within reach. Everyone desired to enhance their power. Unfortunately, what the two discussed was too profound; despite trying hard to listen, she still understood very little of it. All she could do was try desperately to remember everything and write it down later, hoping for an opportunity to use it someday—this was the actual experience shared by true inner strength masters.

"Zhang Yang, I don't plan to continue my secluded training. The Supreme True Scripture allowed for very fast recovery in the initial stages, but it can only restore one to previous cultivation levels. I was originally Late Second Layer and only reached Third Layer by using the Dragon Transformation Art. Cultivating to the Third Layer on my own won't be easy!"

After their discussion, Long Feng told Zhang Yang something else. The Supreme True Scripture was indeed an excellent technique that rapidly restored his strength, but further progress would require pure, hard effort. His swift recovery was partly because he had cultivated it once before. However, even with diligent effort, things would be much better than before. Long Feng had survived a life-or-death situation, which greatly helped his state of mind. He was confident he could break through to the Inner Strength Third Layer using his own power.

"You mean you don't intend to take the Saintess Pill?"

Zhang Yang nodded, understanding what Long Feng meant. They still possessed several Saintess Pills, and one pill could allow Long Feng to advance to the Third Layer unimpeded.

Long Feng nodded. "Yes. Taking the Saintess Pill is ultimately inferior to breaking through the barrier naturally. I hope to save the Saintess Pill for when I advance to the Fourth Layer!"

Natural breakthrough is always superior to relying on medicine. Long Feng actually had an underlying risk of an unstable realm previously. His rapid ascent had been artificially pulled up by Zhang Yang’s spiritual medicines. This re-cultivation had completely eliminated those latent issues; he had gained a blessing from misfortune.

As for Zhang Yang himself, he did not share this worry. His strength increased rapidly, but he wasn't relying entirely on spiritual medicine. He had a massive cheat tool: the Holy Hand System. Every time the system increased his inner strength, it was incredibly stable, causing no discomfort. Moreover, after the system enhanced him, it would stabilize his current realm completely, preventing the defect others faced when relying solely on spiritual medicine for advancement, which often resulted in an unstable foundation.

After chatting for a while, it was soon time for lunch. Zhang Yang personally cooked a lavish midday feast and invited Long Cheng to join them. Long Feng's restored strength was happy news, and having a member of the Long family celebrate made it better. Though Long Cheng was only an outer disciple, he still shared the Long surname.

After lunch, Long Feng unexpectedly took Long Cheng out alone. He had promised Long Cheng guidance for a long time but never had the time or opportunity. Now that he wasn't in seclusion, this was the perfect chance to properly help Long Cheng, at least by assisting him in improving his strength.

Zhang Yang, now unoccupied, began instructing Wu Meilan in earnest. Upon learning that Zhang Yang was willing to help her improve her strength, Qu Meilan was so moved that she nearly wept. In her eyes, this felt like the arrival of spring.