Many of the younger disciples doubted if they had misheard, or perhaps if Hua Tian had asked incorrectly. Zhang Yang was younger than most of them. The Long family also had some exceptional young talents, but their power levels were mostly at the First Layer, and today they were merely performing, not stepping up to compete. The gap between the First Layer and the Third Layer was not something that could be described by distance. This disparity could not be bridged even by sheer numbers; no quantity of First Layer cultivators could stand against Zhang Yang. Even if they managed to exhaust his internal energy, Zhang Yang could calmly depart—they simply could not catch him.

"Impossible, impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Li Liang suddenly stood rooted to the spot, screaming loudly, his face contorted with rage. "Hua Zheng, have you Huas conspired with the Zhangs? Did you have Hua Tian intentionally hold back just to hype up the Zhang family?" Li Liang turned back, fiercely scolding the elder of the Hua family. Many around him showed dawning realization, their gazes also falling upon the Hua elder. Hua Zheng was the name of that Hua family elder.

"Brother Li is right! Hua Zheng, what exactly are you up to?" Hu Yanpeng chimed in, Li Liang’s words having struck the very core of his own thoughts. If Zhang Yang was not at the Third Layer Late Stage, then Hua Tian must have been acting in concert with him. To Hu Yanpeng, he preferred to believe this rather than accept that a twenty-year-old Zhang Yang possessed comparable strength. It wasn't just the two of them. Except for the few who already knew Zhang Yang’s true power, many younger disciples from the two major families thought the same way. Even some within the Long family agreed with Li Liang's assertion. After all, their assessment of Zhang Yang’s strength was based solely on Hua Tian’s performance; nobody truly knew Zhang Yang’s actual capability.

"What nonsense are you spewing? How could Hua Tian possibly be holding back intentionally!" Hua Zheng’s face was ashen. He was deeply shocked himself. He understood Hua Tian’s situation best; to suggest intentional restraint, he wouldn't believe it for a second. Hua Tian’s demeanor hadn't looked like a performance either. If it were true, and Zhang Yang could subdue Hua Tian so easily, then Zhang Yang's power was truly terrifying.

The murmurs among the surrounding Long family servants grew louder. No one had expected—or even conceived—that a member of the Zhang family, whom they considered negligible, could be this formidable. Defeating Hua Tian in an instant! Just from that brief exchange, they could tell that Hua Tian was clearly no match for Zhang Yang. They were shocked by Zhang Yang's strength, but even more so, they were elated. If Zhang Yang won, it meant the Long family had also secured a victory. Facing the relentless pressure from the three great families, anyone claiming they didn't want to win would be lying.

"I concede!"

Hua Tian stopped attacking, standing there looking quite dejected. His surrender was different from Long Feng’s. Long Feng had forfeited because an elder of his family had voluntarily conceded to protect him. Hua Tian conceded because he saw absolutely no hope of victory. That single grasp from Zhang Yang carried a terrifying force that still lingered, leaving him with a sense of dread and no courage left to continue fighting.

"Hua Tian yields! In this match, Zhang Yang of the Zhang family wins!" Long Zheng announced the result loudly, then cast a pointed look toward Li Liang and Hu Yanpeng, who still stood on the high platform, their faces etched with disbelief. Neither man could accept the outcome even now.

"Hua Zheng, we are allied as three families this time; you had better give us an explanation!" Li Liang looked at Hua Zheng and then slowly added. He couldn't interfere with what happened on the Martial Arts Platform, so all he could do was confront Hua Zheng. Hu Yanpeng stood beside him without speaking, but his expression mirrored Li Liang’s; they both awaited Hua Zheng’s explanation.

"An explanation? What do I need to explain?" A flicker of displeasure crossed Hua Zheng’s face. The Hua family, like the Li and Hu Yan families, were millennium-old clans, not their subordinates. Li Liang addressing him with such an assertive tone made him deeply uncomfortable.

"What do you need to explain? We are allied as one body this time! Why would you favor the Zhang family? Is it just to make this kid from the Zhang family look good? Or did they offer you some benefits!" Hu Yanpeng couldn't help but blurt out, his words essentially making the accusation explicit. They suspected the Hua family had been bribed by the Zhang family specifically to build momentum for them today. The three major families had fought hard for so long, only for Zhang Yang to step onto the stage and stun everyone, ensuring his name would be remembered. Today’s biggest spotlight was no longer on Hua Tian, but squarely on Zhang Yang.

"Benefits?" Hua Zheng couldn't help but laugh out loud. He wasn't a fool and immediately understood what Hu Yanpeng was implying. As for benefits, the Zhang family could indeed offer them something. The Zhang family’s medicinal formulation skill was widely acknowledged as the best, and Zhang Yang possessed Spirit Medicines. Offering them a few Spirit Medicines would certainly be enough to buy their allegiance. Hu Yanpeng meant they had accepted Spirit Medicines from the Zhang family.

"If you have no proof, please refrain from speaking recklessly in the future, lest you damage the harmony between our families!" Hua Zheng said calmly, a hint of coldness in his tone. Yet, everyone could detect his rising anger. To be falsely accused without cause, even a good-tempered man would find it unbearable.

"Proof? Hua Tian himself is the best proof! With his Third Layer internal energy, how could he possibly be defeated by that boy?" Hu Yanpeng insisted, and Li Liang slowly nodded beside him. The truth was, the brief duration of Zhang Yang’s exchange with Hua Tian was the issue. They had only made contact once, not engaged in a fierce clash, so the onlookers couldn't gauge Zhang Yang’s strength directly and could only speculate based on Hua Tian’s reaction. Furthermore, it was Hua Tian who asked, and Zhang Yang himself admitted to being at the Third Layer Late Stage. Strictly speaking, there was currently no tangible evidence confirming Zhang Yang's true cultivation level.

"Hahaha!" Hua Zheng burst into laughter again. After the laughter subsided, he gave Hu Yanpeng a cold look, a hint of scorn lingering in his eyes. "The core of everything you’ve claimed is that Zhang Yang isn't actually that powerful. If you want to know if our Hua family held back, send someone up to fight him yourselves!" As he spoke, Hua Tian was already walking back to his seat. His expression was off; his gaze was somewhat vacant, tinged with gloom, dejection, and envy. Hua Zheng couldn't afford to argue further with these men; he needed to immediately counsel Hua Tian privately. Hua Tian was the great hope for their Hua family’s future. Seeing him like this pained Hua Zheng deeply. He couldn't allow Hua Tian to develop any lingering emotional block from this match, as it would hinder his future progress. Even if he managed to advance, he risked cultivating a Heart Demon, and the stronger he became, the more devastating the Heart Demon's impact would be.

However, Hua Zheng's words had served as a reminder to Hu Yanpeng. Hu Yanpeng and Li Liang exchanged a look. They both hesitated, considering whether they should send one of their own up to the stage. Sending their own people would certainly allow them to ascertain Zhang Yang's actual strength.

"If you two wish to know my true strength, you can step onto the stage and fight me personally. Why go to such trouble?" Zhang Yang, still standing on the platform, suddenly smiled, his words ringing out with an air of profound ease. These two had targeted him from the start. He had heard everything they said to Hua Zheng. Since they harbored doubts, Zhang Yang decided to challenge them directly. Truthfully, he had zero interest in the Second Layer internal energy disciples they might send up. A Third Layer Late Stage expert fighting a Second Layer cultivator was simply bullying. Even when sparring with Long Feng normally, he usually brought Lightning along; fighting Long Feng one-on-one, Long Feng would certainly be no match for him.

Li Liang and Hu Yanpeng were slightly taken aback, their eyes widening in apprehension. They hadn't expected Zhang Yang to issue such a direct challenge. If Zhang Yang didn't actually possess the strength of the Third Layer Late Stage, then he must be completely foolish. Judging by Zhang Yang’s composure, he didn't seem like a fool. A sliver of doubt surfaced in both their minds—a nagging suspicion that Zhang Yang truly was a formidable master at the Third Layer Late Stage. Yet, this doubt was forcibly suppressed. Deep down, they were unwilling to believe that someone so young could be so incredibly powerful.

The younger disciples of the four great families all stared at Zhang Yang in astonishment. Zhang Yang stood on the stage, a faint smile playing on his lips, quietly observing Hu Yanpeng. The one he intended to challenge was actually Hu Yanpeng. Li Liang’s power was respectable, but he was only at the Mid-Stage of the Third Layer. Only the Late Stage Third Layer Hu Yanpeng could serve as his true peer. Zhang Yang hadn't sparred with someone of his own level since his breakthrough; he keenly desired a proper fight against an equally matched master.

Furthermore, there was another crucial reason for his challenge. The gathering of the five great families, including the Long family, was a first in a century. Essentially, the majority of the strength among the aristocratic cultivators was present here. Zhang Yang intended to seize this opportunity to thoroughly establish the prestige of the Zhang family, making those who looked down upon them permanently engrave the four words, Medical Saint Zhang Family, into their minds. If he was going to establish prestige, he needed to select a worthy opponent. The greater the opponent's stature, the more his own strength would be showcased. Among internal energy cultivators, everything bows to strength. Without real power, the title of a millennium-old clan means nothing.

"Zhang Yang, this doesn't seem to follow the rules. The Long Family Grand Competition is for participants under thirty years old!" Long Zheng frowned slightly, quietly reminding Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang’s display of Third Layer Late Stage power had also startled him, and the tone of his voice had shifted, carrying more respect than before. He was unlike Hu Yanpeng; he believed Zhang Yang possessed the strength of the Third Layer Late Stage, as that was the only way he could have defeated Long Jiu in a single move and forced Hua Tian to yield immediately. Long Jiu, seated on the high platform, looked even more conflicted now, a touch of bitterness mixed in. Had he known earlier that his opponent possessed Third Layer Late Stage power, he never would have acted so arrogantly to issue a challenge. It seemed his earlier loss was not in vain; this was a lesson for him.

"Senior Long Zheng..." "Zhang Yang, since you possess the strength of the Third Layer Late Stage, our cultivation levels are equal. You needn't address me as 'Senior' anymore!" As soon as Zhang Yang spoke, Long Zheng quickly interrupted him. Zhang Yang reaching the Third Layer Late Stage at twenty years old wasn't a genius rarely seen in a century; he was a monster born perhaps once in a millennium. Such an individual was almost guaranteed to reach the Fourth Layer in the future; Long Zheng dared not have such a master addressing him as 'Senior' day in and day out.

"Very well, I am friends with Long Feng, so I will call you Uncle Zheng, just as he does!" Zhang Yang smiled slightly, nodding once, and then continued: "Uncle Zheng, is today's competition still considered the Long Family Grand Competition? Strictly speaking, it has already broken away from the scope of the Long Family Grand Competition. Since that is the case, why adhere rigidly to formalities? Those who doubt my strength are welcome to step onto the platform. I will make them understand that the power of my Medical Saint Zhang Family extends beyond medical arts, but also medicinal formulation skills!" After speaking, Zhang Yang looked up calmly at Hu Yanpeng. His meaning was abundantly clear. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)