The first swing forced Xiao Fengyun back and pleased the crowd.

Lin Hao rode the momentum in a spurt of energy, not allowing Fengyun to breathe or regain stability.

“Earth Rend!” He swung his second axe and released a massive fiery meteor with a long trail towards Fengyun. The flames burned the air, creating blurriness and a melting phenomenon.

“Crack!” The ground cracked enough though the axe was still in the upper trajectory. Lava oozed out from the cracks and actually lunged towards Fengyun.

The second swing was more dominating than the first and harder to stop.

“So strong!” One spectator blurted out while his knees buckled in fear.

The geniuses in the same realm became emotional. They admitted that Lin Hao was quite strong despite lacking resources and top merit laws.

Fengyun retaliated by pinning his saber into the ground. “Buzz.” Lightning bolts coursed underground.

In the next second, a diagram with lines made of lightning appeared on the ground like a peerless totem.

“Lightning Pillars!” Feng Yun roared and thick lightning bolts came out of the ground - mighty enough to shoulder the sky. They created a net-like barrier to stop all offenses.

“Boom!” Lin Hao’s axe struck the barrier.

“Rumble!” The power of the hatchet was devastating, seemingly wanting to destroy the capital.

Alas, it wasn’t enough to split the lightning barrier, only forcing some cracks on the surface.

Fengyun took this opportunity to retaliate. The next saber swing lacked the same fanfare as before.

This slash was virtually imperceptible. Once people noticed it, it would have been too late since the blade would be inches away from the neck.

Abyss Lightning - this was a killing move from his clan’s Thunder Saber Art. This one was different from the rest - looking weak due to its subdued nature yet was extremely fatal.

Many opponents died to this particular move instead of the flashy ones.

Most young spectators didn’t see the move clearly. They only felt a cold breeze by their neck as if something was on the verge of piercing through.

“Watch it, your neck!” The stronger geniuses shouted to warn Lin Hao.

Of course, it was way too late once the words came out. The tip of the saber was already there. These geniuses could already imagine the fatal result.

“Clank!” More sparks slashed outward. Lin Hao managed to stop it with his third axe that came out of nowhere. His speed wasn’t inferior to Fengyun in the slightest.

“That was close.” People heaved a sigh of relief. Their back was drenched with cold sweat by now.

“Triple Furious Axe.” They finally understood his title after seeing this. [1]

Normally, people only saw the two axes hanging by his waist, not the third one. Those who didn’t know him well would only think that he was a dual-wielder.

“Where did the third one come from?” One cultivator regained his wits and wondered.

Xiao Fengyun wasn’t puzzled by this and activated more lightning bolts.

“Watch it!” The spectators shouted.

Lin Hao didn’t need them to warn him. He knew that this wasn’t looking good because Fengyun’s body was covered in lightning bolts right now. He had no choice but to switch to defense.

“Ravage The Nine Firmaments!” Fengyun roared and the lightning bolts soared straight towards Lin Hao.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!” In the next split second, the bolts struck Lin Hao and exploded.

Lin Hao’s reaction was impeccable as he pulled back his axe to defend himself. Alas, it wasn’t enough to block all the lightning bolts.

He was sent flying through the air and vomited blood. His armor also broke down from the explosions.

“Bam!” He smashed into the ground, looking disorderly.

The atmosphere became frozen while the members of the holy ground couldn’t keep their mouth shut.

Lin Hao had the upper hand just a moment ago but everything changed so quickly.

A while later, Lin Hao got up, looking bloodied from top to bottom.

“Senior Brother Lin, are you okay?” One student came over, wanting to help him.

Lin Hao gently rejected the guy and stood straight on his own.

“I’ve lost.” He smiled wryly without looking dejected or angry.

“It’s too early for that, you can still fight.” Xiao Fengyun shook his head.

The wounds weren’t serious enough to negatively affect Lin Hao. He could keep on fighting if he wanted to.

“A loss is a loss, no need to prolong it. I can still fight but the gap is clear. I’ll only be inviting further humiliation. I am weaker and wholeheartedly accept defeat.” Lin Hao said, not too bothered by the loss.

This battle pertained to the holy ground’s reputation. Some wouldn’t take losing as lightly as him right now.

That’s why the others didn’t want to take this risk. On the other hand, Lin Hao seemed rather accepting of the whole thing. This strong mentality impressed the crowd.

“I like your style, Brother Lin. It’s an honor to fight you.” Fengyun cupped his fist.

“You’re too kind. The Xiao’s saber art was amazing.” Lin Hao reflected.

This gentlemanly display was enviable. The result didn’t matter as much as the experience.

“Sometimes, an enemy can be cuter than a friend.” One person said softly.

“Brother Lin, you’ve done well in representing the holy ground. It’s a great contribution.” Dugu Lan spoke.

“I’m sorry.” Lin Hao smiled bitterly and finally accepted the help from his peers to leave the scene.

Silence took over. His loss, regardless of its elegant nature, was still a blow to the holy ground.

1. This used to be Sanban, now changing to triple with this context