Even the assembled seniors on the stage widened their eyes, watching intently; the battle had already surpassed the scope of the Inner Force Second Layer, moving into a genuine contest of the Third Layer.

Even the three major families who had prepared to challenge the Long family were unprepared for the arena contest to devolve into a true clash of Third Layer prowess.

The young disciples at the Inner Force Second Layer level held their breath, not daring to blink.

Disciples from both the Long and Hua families watched the two on stage with palpable tension. These two were the pride of their respective houses. Meanwhile, the disciples from the Li and Huyan families harbored distinctly malicious thoughts.

Many were silently wishing that these two combatants would either perish together or at least sustain grievous injuries. Such an outcome would not only solidify the enmity between the two houses but could also potentially derail the futures of these two prodigies due to severe harm.

This sentiment was not confined to the ordinary disciples; Li Liang and Huyan Peng shared the same desire, their eyes clouded with thick jealousy.

Zhang Yang also focused his gaze on the unfolding scene. He had already sensed the Hua family’s Third Layer master, but he hadn't anticipated Long Feng’s mid-battle breakthrough.

Upon closer reflection, however, Long Feng's breakthrough seemed almost inevitable.

Long Feng had previously experienced an epiphany, and his state of mind already surpassed the Third Layer; he was merely lacking the necessary internal energy. Once that energy arrived, the breakthrough would be a natural consequence.

Before the match, Long Feng’s internal force was already formidable, standing just a hair’s breadth from a breakthrough.

Crucially, before stepping onto the stage, Long Feng had consumed a drop of the Essence Blood Pill. Although some of its potency was wasted during the fight, it undeniably accelerated the increase of his internal energy.

When Long Feng was struck down and injured, the Spirit Medicine instinctively began its healing process, accelerating its medicinal effects within his body, which, in turn, spurred rapid growth in his internal energy.

Long Feng must have keenly perceived this subtle shift, leading him to execute the breakthrough right there on the spot, ultimately achieving success.

When viewed this way, Long Feng’s advancement could hardly be called accidental.

Zhang Yang’s deduction was largely in alignment with the facts. Long Feng's breakthrough this time stemmed first from his accumulated foundation, and second, from the contribution of the Spirit Medicine Zhang Yang had him consume.

Of course, his own enlightenment before the Great Buddha statue remained a vital factor. Without that prior insight, achieving the Third Layer breakthrough now would not have been so smooth, nor would he have dared attempt it during a contest.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The exchanges of fists and kicks grew more frequent. Long Feng had only just broken through. Although he was now a Third Layer master, his realm was unstable, and his raw internal force still lagged behind Hua Tian's.

As the lingering effects of the Spirit Medicine diminished, his situation grew progressively worse.

Hua Tian had been at the Third Layer for over half a year, allowing him time to solidify his realm. Fueled by his jealousy over Long Feng achieving better results than himself, his attacks now carried no restraint.

"Boom!"

Hua Tian landed a heavy punch directly on Long Feng’s arm, forcing Long Feng to stagger back five or six paces.

Hua Tian immediately surged forward, but Long Feng utilized his agile footwork to evade once more. This sequence had repeated countless times already. Hua Tian was desperate to defeat Long Feng quickly, but unfortunately for him, Long Feng’s speed was too great.

He had been faster than Hua Tian before; now that Long Feng had broken through, Hua Tian found it even harder to keep pace. The two were locked in this tense stalemate.

"Hao Tian, tell Long Feng to concede!"

The Second Elder of the Long family, who had remained silent until now, turned to Long Hao Tian and spoke. Long Hao Tian blinked slightly, then nodded in agreement.

Winning or losing this match had become secondary for them. Long Feng’s emergence and breakthrough were their greatest unexpected surprise and their most significant victory.

For them, having such a young Third Layer master emerge from the family was achievement enough. Even if they lost the arena contest overall, they were the true winners.

Without the pressure from these outside forces relentlessly pushing them, they might not have even known this genius was hidden within the family. Without the contest against Hua Tian, Long Feng might not have broken through to the Third Layer so rapidly.

Everyone knew that the earlier one entered the Third Layer, the greater their potential for future development.

"Yes!"

Long Hao Tian bowed respectfully and then signaled Dragon Zheng, who was on the stage.

Dragon Zheng had a good relationship with Long Hao Tian, and he immediately understood the meaning behind the subtle gesture.

Truthfully, he had already been considering that Long Feng’s chances of victory were slim. Rather than persisting, it was better to concede. Long Feng had just broken through; the priority now was stabilizing his realm. If he were to be injured by Hua Tian now, it could severely impact his future cultivation.

With the hint from Long Hao Tian, Dragon Zheng hesitated no longer. As the two adversaries separated again, he suddenly flashed to the center of the stage.

He blocked their path and called out loudly, "Our Long family concedes this match!"

Both fighters, about to resume their engagement, froze in surprise.

A look of stunned indignation crossed Long Feng’s face. He said anxiously, "Uncle Zheng, I haven't lost yet!"

He had not lost; he could still fight. Furthermore, he was acutely aware that no one else in the Long family could handle Hua Tian. If he conceded now, it meant the Long family lost.

Dragon Zheng shot Long Feng a sharp look. "You are no match for Hua Tian. As the acting head of the Long family, I have the authority to concede on your behalf!"

With that, he turned and smiled toward Hua Tian, declaring clearly, "I officially announce now: Hua Tian wins this contest!"

Hua Tian was also taken aback. Like Long Feng, he hadn't expected a Long family elder to concede voluntarily. Although reluctant, he could do nothing. He had lost the opportunity for a final offensive.

He desperately wanted to deliver a crippling blow to Long Feng, ideally affecting his future cultivation. But the opponent had already conceded, leaving him no right to continue attacking. If he pressed on, the one who suffered the consequences would be him; he wasn't arrogant enough to believe he could overcome the combined authority of the Long family elders as a mere early-stage Third Layer novice.

The elder leading the Hua family contingent frowned slightly, then relaxed his features. Long Feng's unexpected breakthrough to the Third Layer was unforeseen, but the current progression of events remained within his control. Hua Tian had secured the victory, winning against the Long family.

The Long family still had fighters, but none could match Hua Tian. Even if Hua Tian rested for three rounds and the other disciples lost, the Long family could not win overall.

This meant that the victory over the Long family still belonged to the Hua family.

Li Liang and Huyan Peng stared wide-eyed as well. This outcome left them feeling unwilling, but they understood that in their shoes, they would have made the same decision. For the Long family, the crucial element was no longer the match's outcome but how to protect Long Feng.

Ensuring Long Feng remained unharmed was the most vital concern for the Long family. Long Feng, at the late Second Layer, had already demonstrated speed surpassing the Third Layer. Now that he had reached the Third Layer, no one knew how fast he truly was.

Having the advantage of speed meant occupying a significant upper hand among peers. If Long Feng were given half a year to stabilize his cultivation, the result of a match against Hua Tian would be highly uncertain.

At this moment, they could only envy the good fortune of the Long and Hua families, lamenting that their own clans lacked such disciples.

"Brother Zheng, Long Feng is defeated. Whom will you send out next?"

Huyan Peng called out. Long Feng had lost, but the contest was not over. His own spirits were low; the Huyan family had gained nothing this time, and Huyan Qing was injured. They were the biggest losers.

However, since their three families had collectively defeated the Long family, his implication was clear: the Long family should surrender the entire challenge now.

Hua Tian remained standing on the stage, reverting to his earlier appearance—utterly unremarkable.

The surrounding Long family retainers murmured amongst themselves. The Long family's voluntary concession was indeed regrettable, but they understood it was done to protect Long Feng. Protecting Long Feng carried far greater significance than the outcome of this single match.

It was a pity that none of the remaining Long family disciples could defeat Hua Tian, meaning they would ultimately lose to the three major families. Despite the loss, no one was disheartened. Fighting three opponents alone, they had lost with honor. Combined with the unexpected gain of Long Feng’s breakthrough, they were, in a way, winners—just in a different sense.

"None of our other Long family disciples are a match for Hua Tian!"

Dragon Zheng hesitated before quietly stating this fact, admitting it despite his reluctance.

The Long family disciples who had yet to fight clenched their fists. They longed for the chance to compete, but each knew that stepping out would only mean further defeat; the gap was too vast, leaving no hope for victory.

"If that is the case, then your Long family should voluntarily concede!"

Huyan Peng spoke again, his tone flat. The Long family disciples all turned toward him, their faces etched with indignation. The Long family knew they were going to lose, but being pressed by Huyan Peng to actively surrender felt like they were being treated as vastly inferior, as if they were lesser than the Huyan family.

In reality, the Long family alone did not fear the Huyan family; the Huyan clan members were no match for them. This time, even in defeat, the Long family had lost specifically to the Hua family.

Dragon Zheng hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently. He was unhappy internally, but there was little he could say. No one in the Long family could beat Hua Tian, and fighting would only invite further humiliation. Conceding voluntarily was the better choice. At least they had secured a massive gain: Long Feng, the Inner Force Third Layer master, was their reward.

Dragon Zheng slowly nodded and whispered, "This time, the arena contest..."

"Wait!"

Before Dragon Zheng could finish his sentence, a shout stopped him. Many turned to look at Li Liang.

It was Li Liang who had interrupted Dragon Zheng. Dragon Zheng remained silent, fixing him with a cold stare; no one enjoys having their words cut short mid-sentence.

Dragon Zheng waited, curious to hear what Li Liang intended to say.

"The Long family has no remaining disciples to send out, but don't forget the Zhang family. Shouldn't the Zhang family send someone out as well? After all, this is supposed to be a contest between two families against three!"

Li Liang rose slowly, voicing his statement. Many were stunned.

At this critical juncture, Li Liang was dragging the Zhang family into the conflict. Everyone knew the Zhang family only had one person present—a young man barely twenty years old.

Most people currently viewed Zhang Yang as an ordinary youth, as very few were aware of his true strength. Even Li Liang hadn't practiced the minor technique cultivated by Li Changfeng. That specific technique consumed an enormous amount of time and could not be reliably assessed, leading the Li family to rarely bother learning it, which was why only Li Changfeng had mastered it.

Li Changfeng, present now, was also taken aback. Hearing his elder’s words, he shook his head with frustration. He regretted not revealing Zhang Yang’s situation earlier; otherwise, Li Liang would never have said such a thing. (To be continued) RQ