The three Sword Servants were all masters of the Sword Dao. The moment the faint ring sounded, they realized something was wrong.

The three of them shot backward, but they were a step too late.

In the next instant, one of the Sword Servants crashed to his knees. The longsword in his hand had snapped in two, and the shirt over his left shoulder was sliced cleanly open, revealing a clear sword wound.

Then, blood spurted out wildly.

The wound appeared first, and blood only followed seconds later. One could only imagine the speed of that move.

Lin Hao’s sword had yet to arrive—there was only a faint ring—yet the three Sword Servants had been forced back, one had his sword shattered, and even his left shoulder wasn’t spared.

This scene was even more shocking than the last.

A line of poetry, a sword move for each line, an injury with each move.

Before Lin Hao, these long-famous Sword Servants were proving to be utterly vulnerable.

Lin Hao... was this terrifying.

Countless people stared wide-eyed, watching the proudly standing Lin Hao in a daze.

Previously, everyone believed Lin Hao wouldn’t last a single move under the combined assault of the four Sword Servants. But now, Lin Hao had made only two moves and had already injured two of them. The scene was incredibly dramatic.

"Am I seeing things? How is this possible?" Someone felt as if they were dreaming.

"It makes no sense. Could it be that the four Sword Servants are intentionally going easy on him to build up Lin Hao’s reputation? Otherwise, with their skills, there’s no way they’d be so easily defeated."

The four Sword Servants had been famous for too long. No one could believe Lin Hao actually possessed this level of ability.

In fact, it wasn’t just the crowd; even the defeated Sword Servant couldn’t believe what had just happened.

Lin Hao’s sword moves were strange, but with their abilities, they had anticipated them. And yet, they simply couldn’t dodge.

It was as if some strange aura was impeding their movements.

"Second Brother, be careful. His Cultivation Technique seems very strange." Among the two remaining Sword Servants, Sword One wore a grave expression as he secretly sent a voice transmission to the other.

If Lin Hao had heard this transmission, he would have certainly been impressed by Sword One.

Sword One’s guess was correct. The reason for such a shocking effect was, naturally, the Cultivation Technique.

Lin Hao was channeling the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill to power his sword moves.

The Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill was an Emperor-level art. Using it to power one’s sword moves created a unique aura that amplified their might.

The other Sword Servant was just as perceptive. After Sword One spoke, he nodded, and a grim, murderous aura abruptly rose from his body.

This murderous aura grew thicker and thicker. Soon, the Sword Servant was like a drawn, sharp sword, radiating chilling killing intent.

The next moment, he suddenly thrust his sword forward.

The sword’s speed was neither fast nor slow. It even lacked any discernible form—it was plain and simple.

But Lin Hao’s expression became extremely grave.

Because this strike contained a boundless killing aura that enveloped his entire body, making him feel as if he couldn’t move.

Moreover, Lin Hao felt his body turn bone-chillingly cold under this strike, as if even his blood was about to stop flowing.

A sword is a lethal weapon, and a lethal weapon is meant to kill.

Sword Intent!

This was an invincible Sword Intent meant for killing!

Not far away, even Song Xinchuan couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration upon seeing this strike, "Though this move may seem plain and simple, it is absolutely a strike where this Sword Servant has brought his Sword Intent to its peak. With this sword drawn, the victor is already decided."

"I’m afraid that’s not necessarily true!" someone on the Wind and Cloud Platform answered coldly. It was Su Molixi.

And at that moment, Lin Hao spoke as well.

"Sword in hand, astride a steed, a ghastly rain descends; mountains of white bone make the startled birds take flight."

Another line of poetry.

Countless people’s eyes widened. They wanted to see if Lin Hao could truly create another miracle.

The moment Lin Hao’s voice fell, the Evil-Slaying Sword began to thrum wildly, and a tragic, brutal, murderous aura surged forth, blanketing everything.

Sword Intent!

Shockingly, this was also Sword Intent.

Lin Hao also thrust his sword, using no particular move, just a straight lunge.

In the next instant, the Evil-Slaying Sword met the longsword extended by the Sword Servant.

Tip to tip.

Exquisite precision.

Then, the longsword in the Sword Servant’s hand disintegrated, cracking inch by inch until not even the hilt was spared.

SHLICK!

The sound of a fine blade sinking into flesh rang out.

The Evil-Slaying Sword slid along the Sword Servant’s arm and pierced directly into his right shoulder.

With just one move again, another Sword Servant was utterly defeated.

The Sword Servant stared at Lin Hao, seemingly oblivious to the Evil-Slaying Sword embedded in his body, his eyes filled only with terror.

No one knew what had just happened better than this Sword Servant.

Despite being a man who had killed countless times, a cold chill still ran through him. The killing aura contained in Lin Hao’s strike was countless times denser than his own.

Just now, as the sword entered his body, he had a vision of endless, boundless mountains of white bone.

"You are very strong. I have lost." Finally, the Sword Servant came back to his senses and said these words.

Before the eyes of all, Sword Two—the second-ranked of the nine great Sword Servants—admitted that his skills were inferior. And his opponent was just a teenager. This was absolutely stunning.

The entire scene fell silent.

Lin Hao spoke in verse, a sword move for every poem. After three lines, he had injured three Sword Servants. This was a miracle.

"Your strength is beyond my imagination. Give you ten years, and I fear not even the Sword God would be your match. Now, I must ask you, Young Master, to hand over the Evil-Slaying Sword. I guarantee that the enmity between Mingjian Manor and you will be written off." After a long silence, Sword One spoke.

"The Evil-Slaying Sword may be extraordinary in your eyes, but to me, it is just a sword. While this sword is not the absolute best, *he* is not worthy of it."

The ’he’ Lin Hao spoke of was, of course, Zuo Yi.

"Sword One, kill him for me!" Zuo Yi said hatefully.

Even though eight of the nine Sword Servants had been defeated in a row, Zuo Yi still had confidence in Sword One.

The reason was simple: in the last twenty years, Sword One was the first person capable of receiving three strikes from his father.

Sword One ignored Zuo Yi and continued speaking to Lin Hao. "Twenty years ago, when I had just made my debut, I was young and arrogant. I challenged the Sword God and could only receive a single one of his strikes. Now, I can take three. I will only make one strike. If you can receive it, Mingjian Manor will no longer involve itself in the matter of the Evil-Slaying Sword."

’This Sword One can actually speak for Mingjian Manor?’

He glanced at Zuo Yi.

Zuo Yi snorted but didn’t answer.

Lin Hao understood. Without replying to Sword One, he made a gesture of invitation.

Lin Hao had already witnessed Sword One’s capabilities.

Just now, when he used the Emperor-level art to execute his sword moves, his Spiritual Sense had been heightened beyond its usual limits, allowing him to discover a perplexing fact.

Sword One was holding back.

When the four Sword Servants had surrounded him earlier, if Sword One hadn’t been holding back, Lin Hao knew he would have certainly been defeated.

After the first exchange, Lin Hao thought it was his imagination, but the next two confirmed his suspicion.

Although he didn’t know why, Lin Hao’s wariness toward Sword One deepened.

Now that Sword One said he would only make one strike, Lin Hao didn’t relax; instead, he grew even more tense.

Sword One nodded and suddenly gripped his sword with both hands.

This grip seemed to defy convention.

Since it was a sword, it should naturally be wielded with finesse. No master of the Sword Dao had ever used a two-handed grip.

But Sword One did just that. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The next moment, he tightened his grip and took a step forward.

With just that single step, his entire aura transformed.

A boundless, majestic, and bloody aura swept over everything.

The lanterns around the Wind and Cloud Platform were all extinguished.

And in the void above, wind and clouds surged, all converging above Sword One’s head.

Sword One had yet to strike, having only taken a single step, yet he seemed to carry the might of heaven and earth.

One step to command the power of the world!

This scene was utterly terrifying.

Lin Hao’s entire body began to glow. At this moment, he felt an unprecedented pressure.

Sword One was commanding the power of the world, and the pressure was comparable to what he had faced on Forbidden God Mountain.

And this was from just one step.

Sword One’s power was boundlessly terrifying.

Lin Hao didn’t dare to be the least bit careless. His eyes shone brightly as he suddenly tightened his grip on the Evil-Slaying Sword.

Just then, Sword One took another step.

Dark clouds pressed down from above.

The area was instantly plunged into a darkness so deep you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

At that moment, a sword light tore through the darkness, incomparably brilliant.

This strike seemed to cleave through chaos itself and remake the world.

’Lin Hao is finished.’

Everyone knew whose hand had unleashed this strike.

Faced with such a strike, no one thought Lin Hao had a chance.

CLANG!

However, in the next moment, a crisp sound rang out.

The crowd’s eyes widened to see the two standing with their swords withdrawn.

But the more observant noticed that Lin Hao’s face was flushed, as if he had suffered a significant injury. At the same time, he was now several steps away from where he had originally been standing.

In contrast, Sword One’s expression was normal; he had only retreated two steps.

"Sword One’s strike was too tyrannical. As expected, Lin Hao is no match for him," someone said.

"But you seem to have forgotten. Sword One said that as long as Lin Hao could take his one strike, Mingjian Manor would drop the matter. And Lin Hao just took it."

"Sword One has been famous for a long time and followed the Sword God for twenty years. That strike was certainly tyrannical, but for Lin Hao to be able to take it... he’s a heaven-sent prodigy!"

"If this child is allowed to grow, his future will be limitless."

"True, but he provoked the Jinglian Saint Institute. I’m afraid things won’t end well for him today."

At these words, the crowd fell silent.

Lin Hao, standing before the Jinglian Saint Institute—an existence that not even the five great Divine Sects dared to provoke—was undoubtedly a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

On the stage, Sword One sheathed his sword and turned to leave.

Lin Hao stared at his back, a strange look in his eyes.

"A bunch of trash! Luo Zhonglou, you’re up!" Seeing that so many people had failed to take down Lin Hao, the beast-hide-clad youth ordered Luo Zhonglou to act.

"Old man, it’s you. All healed up?" Before Luo Zhonglou could take a step, Lin Hao stared at him and suddenly spoke.

In War Dragon City, Lin Hao had seen a wisp of Luo Zhonglou’s Divine Soul, and he recognized him now.

Luo Zhonglou’s face instantly darkened. He said hatefully, "You little bastard, no one can save you today!"

His sinister voice sent a chill down the spine.

"Wait. The Heaven-Stepping Sect is the lineage of an Emperor Venerable, and Young Master Lin is its chief disciple. Are you not afraid that the Heaven-Stepping Sect will bring out its full power?" Sect Leader Mo of the Danling Sect stepped forward and said.

Although the Danling Sect was merely a sect from the Southern Border Prefecture, insignificant before the likes of the Proud Moon Divine Sect and the Jinglian Saint Institute, Sect Leader Mo was not the type of person to betray his principles.

"Mo Qianwu, if you anger Young Master Lian, believe it or not, your Danling Sect will be wiped from the Southern Border Prefecture today!" Luo Zhonglou said coldly, not bothering to hide his killing intent.

Mo Qianwu’s expression changed, but he still didn’t back down.

Luo Zhonglou turned back to look at the beast-hide-clad youth.

The beast-hide-clad youth stared at Mo Qianwu and spoke unhurriedly, "The survival of the Danling Sect rests on your next decision. Do you really wish to make an enemy of me?"

As his voice fell, a playful smile appeared on the young man’s face.

He came bearing the reputation of the Jinglian Saint Institute. As a Sect Leader, as long as one wasn’t a fool, they would all make the same choice.