Standing on the platform, his eyes locked onto Long Feng, the fighting spirit within him intensifying. If Long Zheng hadn't yet announced the start, he likely would have attacked immediately.

"I request the use of weapons!"

As soon as Long Zheng approached, Li Ye called out. Long Zheng’s brow twitched slightly, and he glanced directly at Long Feng.

He recalled that Long Feng also used a weapon. Long Feng possessed a fine Snow Whip, a choice he had made after his internal energy advanced to the second layer.

"I agree!"

Long Feng nodded softly. His hand-to-hand combat skills were actually not as refined as his whip techniques; he had initially opted for an empty-handed fight simply to avoid trouble. He was confident he could handle Hu Yanqing without needing a weapon.

"Very well, both of you use weapons, but remember to stop before causing harm; no serious injuries!"

Long Zheng nodded slightly. Since both agreed to use weapons, the ensuing contest could begin.

Long Zheng cast another subtle glance at Long Feng. After Long Sheng’s defeat, Long Feng had become the Long family’s last hope. Since Li Ye dared to step onto the stage, his cultivation must not be weak, a silent reminder to Long Feng not to underestimate his opponent.

For Long Feng, this man was the greatest challenge remaining. Defeating him would maximize the Long family’s chances of victory. Among the younger disciples, having just one reach the late second layer was remarkable. The Hu Yan family had one, and the Li family had one, but that was their limit. Long Feng defeating him meant securing the overall victory.

As for the Hua family, Long Zheng hadn't paid them any mind; three of their disciples had already taken the stage without winning a single bout—they were merely placeholders.

"Zhang Yang, who do you think will win this one?"

From the high platform, Long Cheng asked nervously. Zhang Yang turned back, looking at him with slight surprise, then smiled and shook his head. "Their match hasn't begun yet, so it's hard for me to say now. However, Long Feng practices a different cultivation method and isn't concerned about draining his internal energy, so his chances of winning are slightly higher!"

"Right, I forgot they hadn't started. Look at my impatience!" Long Cheng scratched his head sheepishly. As they spoke, the bout on the arena stage officially commenced.

To everyone's surprise, both contestants utilized soft whips. Long Feng wielded his long Snow Whip, while Li Ye brandished a slender, bright red whip. The appearance of their weapons immediately sparked a wave of discussion among the crowd.

Soft whip versus soft whip—now this would be worth watching.

Such a contest better highlighted true ability; the loser could have no complaints. Losing with identical weapons simply meant admitting superior skill.

"Crack! Crack!"

Two sharp sonic booms followed as they engaged. Their soft whips met with a light clash before swiftly retracting.

This was a probe, a mutual assessment. Li Ye's red whip was also a divine artifact, crafted from the sinew of some unknown spirit beast, rendering it incredibly tough. That beast had been immensely powerful in life, imbuing the red whip with a residual savagery. One needed sufficient internal energy cultivation to control it. Fortunately, Long Feng's Snow Whip was equally formidable; in terms of weaponry, they were evenly matched.

After the initial exchange, Long Feng discerned that Li Ye’s cultivation was also at the late second layer, perhaps even deeper than Hu Yanqing’s, nearly on par with his own. For someone his age, possessing such internal energy was rare; breaking through to the third layer in the future would surely place him among the rare geniuses, a true standout.

Following the probe, Li Ye regarded Long Feng with increased seriousness, yet the battle intent in his eyes burned even hotter. He whipped his red whip in a flawless, airtight defense. In terms of sheer whip technique, Li Ye was clearly slightly superior to Long Feng. Long Feng studied whip techniques, but it wasn't his sole focus; he practiced other arts as well. Li Ye, however, had focused solely on the whip since childhood, and his specific style gave him a slight edge in mastery.

Their duel surpassed any before it, drawing loud cheers from the Long family members below. Those from the Long and Li families on the high platform were equally tense. Long Zheng had guessed correctly: Li Ye was the strongest contender brought by the Li family this time. Had Hu Yanqing not been defeated, Li Ye might not have been sent out at all, as he was much younger than Hu Yanqing and held greater potential.

The crackling of whips continued as they crossed paths, channeling their internal energy to unleash their signature martial arts. The elders at the third layer of internal energy cultivation nodded silently. Both men were formidable; in terms of both internal energy and whip work, they possessed unique strengths, currently locked in an even contest. Victory now depended on endurance.

Long Haotian grasped this, a trace of worry in his eyes. Long Feng’s advantage lay in his cultivation method—the Supreme True Canon was a top-tier technique, hugely beneficial, especially for his speed. Li Ye’s advantage was his whip mastery, which compensated for any shortcomings in footwork, making it difficult for Long Feng to close the distance.

"Zhang Yang, can the senior win?" Long Cheng couldn't help but ask again. He couldn't discern the movements of the two on stage, only seeing a continuous collision between white and red blurs, resembling a white dragon fighting a red one. The less clearly he saw, the more anxious he became; as a Long family member, he naturally wished for Long Feng's victory.

"Don't worry, Long Feng will surely win!" Zhang Yang smiled faintly and gently reassured Long Cheng. Li Ye was indeed excellent; even with enhanced speed, Long Feng might not easily defeat him. However, it would be equally difficult for Li Ye to overcome Long Feng. Under normal circumstances, they would deplete their internal energy, and the first to falter would lose. If Long Feng hadn't consumed a spirit medicine, he might have been the one to fall, or perhaps they would have both suffered heavy losses, given he had already fought one match, exhausting some energy. But he had taken a spirit medicine before taking the stage, and its effects were still active. This meant Long Feng need not worry about his internal energy reserves; they remained consistently full, with minimal drain. With this advantage, the one who endured until the end would undoubtedly be Long Feng, and he would be the victor.

On the martial arts stage, Long Feng grew more spirited and more potent as the fight progressed. At this moment, he felt immense gratitude toward Zhang Yang. He clearly understood the current situation was a battle of stamina, whoever gave out first would lose. The effect of the Essence Blood Pill he had taken earlier was now showing itself. Zhang Yang seemed to have foreseen this, making preparations for him in advance. With Zhang Yang’s foresight, victory was guaranteed to be his.

Time flowed on, and the stalemate quickly extended past half an hour. Half an hour of continuous, high-intensity combat severely drained internal energy. This was a true contest, not casual practice; they had to maintain full internal energy while also applying it heavily to their weapons. After half an hour, Li Ye began to show slight breathlessness, while Long Feng remained exactly as he had been. This minuscule gap was quickly noticed by the elders above the third layer. Li Liang’s brow furrowed tightly; he hadn't expected Long Feng’s internal energy to remain so abundant after a previous fight, enough to match Li Ye. Long Haotian and the others also noticed, and the Long family elders collectively let out sighs of relief, their faces touched with joy. Never underestimate such a subtle difference; it had the potential to alter the entire outcome.

On the platform, Li Ye himself sensed something was wrong. Fighting Long Feng head-on, he was most aware of Long Feng’s condition. Long Feng seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of energy; the amount he expended was no less than Li Ye’s, yet Li Ye had already drained so much, while Long Feng appeared completely full. This perplexed him. Unfortunately, he had no time to ponder; he had to commit fully to the confrontation.

Another half hour passed. Long Feng and Li Ye’s bout had now exceeded one hour. It was the longest match of the day and, by far, the most thrilling. The whip shadows they wove with their soft whips rarely repeated, providing a constantly shifting visual spectacle. The incessant movement of the two soft whips felt entirely different from the impact of two figures trading blows bare-handed. After more than an hour, a light mist of sweat began to form on Li Ye’s forehead; his internal energy drain was massive, and he couldn't sustain this pace much longer. Conversely, Long Feng looked unchanged, not even slightly winded. At this point, not only the Li faction, but even Long Haotian and the elders beside him exchanged bewildered glances. None of them had anticipated Long Feng’s internal energy reserves would be this durable, vastly surpassing the same-level Li Ye.

Seeing the situation turning increasingly unfavorable, Li Ye grew anxious and finally cast caution aside, launching a furious offensive. He needed to utilize his remaining energy for one final, most powerful assault, hoping to seize victory in that strike—it was his last hope. As Li Ye’s attacks intensified, Long Feng was the first to react, and his subsequent choice made Li Ye’s eyes widen in anger. Long Feng chose to evade. Utilizing his speed, which far surpassed his peers, he danced aside, causing Li Ye’s relentless attack to dissipate harmlessly, missing its target entirely.

When that surge of aggression failed, Li Ye understood the match was lost—he had lost a head-on confrontation. He didn't even have a chance for mutual destruction, as the opponent’s speed was much greater. He felt he was losing unjustly; he simply couldn't fathom why Long Feng’s stamina was so far superior to his own. A slight edge was understandable, but this level of endurance felt almost perverse; Long Feng had shown no sign of excessive energy consumption yet.

"Crack!"

Li Ye suddenly whipped his soft whip and retreated rapidly several steps, stopping at the edge of the platform and shouting loudly, "I concede this match!" His internal energy was nearly depleted; if he didn't admit defeat now, he would soon be beaten by Long Feng due to a lack of sustaining power after exhaustion. It was better to surrender frankly and avoid injury. He had witnessed Hu Yanqing’s outcome clearly and had no desire to be carried off unconscious like him.

"Spirit medicine, he took spirit medicine! That must be it!"

Li Liang, who had been frowning in deep thought, suddenly snapped his eyes wide open and shouted in alarm. Many people turned toward him, their faces etched with surprise. Li Liang was correct; the only way to explain Long Feng’s seemingly endless supply of internal energy was by consuming spirit medicine—specifically, a type meant to replenish internal energy.