The people on the high platform, at this moment, were not looking at Hua Tian standing on the martial arts stage at all; instead, all their gazes were fixed upon the elder from the Hua family. The Hua family elder maintained that familiar, gentle smile, yet his demeanor now felt entirely different from before.

"Brother Hua, you've kept us in the dark for so long!" Li Liang let out a slight sigh. Indeed, among the thousand-year noble families, none were simple. The Hua family, who seemed honest and merely tagged along, had unexpectedly concealed such a formidable asset. A master of the third layer of Inner Strength under the age of thirty—his emergence had snatched away all the glory of the day from everyone else.

"It wasn't concealment; I was hoping that if your two families won, Hua Tian wouldn't need to fight!" The Hua family elder smiled and shook his head, his expression unwavering. They were all thousand-year noble families. While the Hua family’s overall strength might lag, it didn't mean they lacked ambition. This joint effort of the three families had relegated the Hua family to a supporting role, which had displeased them from the start. They decided to use this opportunity to drop a bombshell and let the Hua family make their mark. The Hua family hadn't expected to contend for first place, but they needed to make it clear to everyone that they, too, were a thousand-year family, not just followers of the others. Even if the Li and Huyan families combined defeated the Long family, the Hua family would seize the chance to reveal Hua Tian. He was only twenty-seven this year, and being at the third layer of Inner Strength at that age made him the pride of the entire Hua family.

"Brother Li, no matter what, it seems we have won this time!" Huyan Peng also sighed, though he felt a pang of something less than pure joy in his heart. After so much planning and preparation, it felt like everything had ultimately paved the way for someone else. Hua Tian's appearance had eclipsed everyone else’s brilliance; now, Hua Tian was the dazzling flower, and the rest had become mere green leaves. To serve as mere foliage for another naturally left one feeling uncomfortable.

On the martial arts platform, it wasn't just Long Feng wearing an expression of sheer horror; Long Zheng also watched Hua Tian with shock. He, too, had never imagined that this Hua Tian was a master of the third layer of Inner Strength. No wonder he had been so arrogant initially; the young man had the credentials to back it up. The third layer of Inner Strength—his presence caused Long Zheng’s heart to settle into a heavy stillness. Even if this man was only in the early stage of the third layer, he was insurmountable for a late-stage second layer cultivator. The gap between the late second layer and the early third layer, though seemingly small, represented a qualitative leap. An early third layer cultivator was significantly more powerful than a late second layer one.

At that time, when Zhang Yang was late second layer, the Golden Crown Python was roughly equivalent to an early third layer strength. Fighting it alone, Zhang Yang would surely have lost. He had to join forces with Lightning and Long Feng, and with Wu Ying’s assistance to neutralize the python's deadly venom, they had finally won and killed it. Not to mention anyone else, without Wu Ying, they would have all been poisoned to death by the Golden Crown Python and wouldn't be standing here now. The situation was the same now. Long Feng was a considerable distance below Hua Tian’s level. Moreover, Long Tian wasn't a spiritual beast; he was an intelligent human, making him even harder to handle. It could be said that almost no one favored Long Feng at this point; even Long Haotian looked on with palpable worry.

"So what if he is third layer? Come again!" Long Feng suddenly roared, his body accelerating even further, and he swung his fist toward Hua Tian’s head. Hua Tian's might had not extinguished Long Feng's fighting spirit; rather, it had ignited his battle fervor. Challenging opponents a level above him was not unprecedented for Long Feng; in fact, it had happened more than once. After Zhang Yang advanced to the third layer, they had sparred numerous times. Fighting the Golden Crown Python, battling the Spirit Ape, and later confronting that old hag in the Southern Border—each time he had fought above his level. The difference was that previously, Zhang Yang had always been the vanguard, the main force. This time, the role had switched to him. He had to face a third-layer master entirely on his own.

"Bang!" Another collision. Long Feng's speed was fast, so Hua Tian, as a third-layer master, could only opt for a head-on confrontation. Long Feng was forced back again. This time, he had unleashed his full power, finally managing to make Hua Tian take one step back. However, Long Feng himself recoiled even further, an oscillating counter-shock wave moving within his body. This internal force almost choked the air from his lungs. Hua Tian finally made his move. As a third-layer master, he couldn't simply keep taking hits. He had come here to secure victory, not to serve as Long Feng's punching bag. The speed of a third-layer master was vastly superior to the second layer. Fortunately, Long Feng’s cultivation of the Supreme Canon granted him an acceleration speed that surpassed even ordinary early third-layer practitioners. As Hua Tian attacked, Long Feng could at least maintain his footing.

"Bang! Bang!" Even managing to evade, some collisions were inevitable. Long Feng exchanged blows with Hua Tian several times, and each time he was violently repelled by Hua Tian's tremendous strength. The duel on the martial arts platform was almost entirely one-sided. Even the Long family supporters were no longer optimistic about Long Feng’s chances, given the clear level disparity. It was already remarkable that Long Feng could endure against a third-layer master for so long. The Long family members were feeling disheartened. Just when victory seemed within reach, a far more formidable opponent emerged, shattering their hopes. Many were still lamenting, and even Long Haotian could only glance toward Zhang Yang. Perhaps this person would ultimately need Zhang Yang to resolve the situation. Zhang Yang was also a monster; he had defeated the early third-layer Long Jiu in a single move. Defeating this opponent shouldn't be too difficult for him.

"Bang! Bang!" "Thud! Thud!" Two figures darted continuously across the stage, their speed even greater, leaving the onlookers dizzy. Occasional frontal clashes resulted in heavy, resounding impacts. Long Feng's Inner Strength was rapidly depleting. For him to persist against a superior opponent through sheer will was difficult enough; the price was massive consumption of his internal reserves. Even a Marrow Cleansing Pill couldn't replenish what he was losing now. Long Feng's breathing grew ragged. The Hua family elder narrowed his eyes even further. If not for Long Feng's abnormal speed, they would have secured the victory long ago.

"Puff!" A wisp of white mist appeared above Long Feng’s forehead, even as he was swept by Hua Tian’s leg, sending his body tumbling heavily to the ground. He had persisted for over twenty minutes, fighting several matches consecutively for nearly two hours. The depletion of his Inner Strength was simply too great. Especially in the last two bouts, he had been fighting at absolute full power. As Long Feng fell, the Hua family erupted in cheers. The Li and Huyan family members also smiled. Regardless of the specifics, the ultimate victory belonged to their three great families. The Long family was formidable, but they had been defeated by them.

"Long Feng!" Long Zheng called out worriedly, almost deciding to concede on Long Feng's behalf. Zhang Yang also frowned; he had almost risen instinctively, but luckily, Long Feng had managed to roll after falling and slowly pulled himself back to his feet. The standing Long Feng had a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, accompanied by a strange smile. He showed no sign of the dejection of defeat; instead, he carried a sliver of excitement, an anomalous thrill. Long Feng's Inner Strength surged once more, and the white mist on his forehead vanished instantly. As his Inner Strength rapidly approached its peak, its ascent suddenly accelerated, shooting upward. Watching Long Feng, Zhang Yang’s eyes tightened abruptly. This fellow was actually initiating an assault on his Inner Strength immediately after being injured. After reaching the peak, his Inner Strength did not halt. It seemed to encounter a wall, but it was merely a thin membrane, offering no real resistance as it burst past the apex.

"Boom!" Long Feng felt the Inner Strength within his body instantly become more surging, filling his entire being with a power—a power entirely different from before. The third layer of Inner Strength. He never expected to achieve a breakthrough at this very moment. "Hua Tian, take this punch from me!" This new surge of power seemed desperate to be unleashed. Long Feng couldn't help but roar and charged forward again. Seeing that Long Feng hadn't conceded and was still attacking, Hua Tian frowned and met Long Feng's charge with a punch of his own.

"Boom!" A louder, heavier impact resonated out as their fists made intimate contact. Long Feng’s body recoiled again, but this time he only retreated five steps before halting. His opponent, Hua Tian, surprisingly took three steps back. Afterward, Hua Tian raised his head, his face etched with disbelief, and roared, "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!" In this exchange, Long Feng's Inner Strength had changed; it was no longer late second layer, but had reached the third layer, just like his own. He could feel the third-layer Inner Strength with absolute certainty. Only a third-layer master could force him back that far. Long Feng had clearly just broken through, which was why he had taken two extra steps back compared to Hua Tian.

"Third layer of Inner Strength!" Long Haotian and the Long family elders all stood up at once, their eyes filled with immense elation. The two grand elders remained seated, but their eyes shone with sheer ecstasy. Long Feng had brought them too many surprises today. Long Feng had broken through—achieving it precisely at the critical juncture of the match. Such a breakthrough was entirely beyond anyone's expectation. Long Feng was younger than Hua Tian. His breakthrough meant the Long family had gained another genius, one even more potent than Hua Tian. At this moment, winning or losing was no longer the most important thing; Long Feng’s advancement to the third layer of Inner Strength was their greatest harvest.

"You are strong, and formidable, but the victor today will be me!" Hua Tian exclaimed, finally giving the opponent before him the serious attention he deserved. Before this, he hadn't slighted Long Feng, but he hadn't held him in high regard either, as Long Feng's strength was a full tier below his own. Securing the victory should have only been a matter of time; if not for Long Feng's overwhelming speed, Hua Tian would have won sooner. However, he hadn't anticipated that Long Feng could achieve a breakthrough during the fight, entering the third layer of Inner Strength simultaneously. Breaking through mid-combat was a hundred times harder than doing so during quiet cultivation. When breaking through from the second to the third layer, every cultivator entered seclusion with meticulous preparation, knowing failure was a real possibility that brought no benefit. Yet Long Feng managed such a breakthrough while fighting him—it truly shocked Hua Tian. Looking at it this way, wasn't Long Feng actually superior to him? Coupled with the fact that Long Feng was younger, Hua Tian, who had always considered himself number one, now felt a distinct sting of jealousy rising from his core.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" Long Feng offered no evasion, meeting Hua Tian head-on in the exchange. Now that he was a third-layer master, even freshly ascended, he was vastly superior to before and could barely contend with Hua Tian on equal footing.