Below the Sword Master, All Laws Are Broken!

After the voice, the earth began to tremble, one shudder after another, the vibrations striking straight into everyone's hearts. In the forest ahead, countless trees snapped and birds fled in panic.

Before long, a monster the size of a house appeared before the crowd. Its fur was pitch-black like ink, its tens-of-centimeters-long claws glinting like hellish cold light. Three ferocious heads and six lantern-sized eyes stared straight at everyone present.

"That's... a Platinum-rank Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff!" The highest cultivation among them was Jiang Weiwei. But even she could barely lift her head under this pressure. A deathly aura blanketed the entire sky. Aside from the Gold-rank instructors and Jiang Weiwei's group, everyone else—including the teachers—was coughing up blood from the oppressive force.

Once a beast reached Platinum rank or above, it could speak human language. It also gained the innate ability to exert pressure.

Lin Hao sighed to himself: Damn, so this is Platinum-rank strength? Even moving is hard for me right now.

"Heh, you humans are truly weak. You can't even withstand a fraction of This Seat's pressure," the Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff sneered, looking down at the humans prostrate before it. "Who should I start with? You all look quite delicious." Its three heads then turned toward Jiang Weiwei, who stood at the front of the line. "Heh, you little girl have the highest cultivation—you suit This Seat's taste. I'll start with you."

"Weiwei!" Su Xiaorui wanted to protect Jiang Weiwei, but even moving was a luxury for her now. A wave of despair and helplessness flooded Su Xiaorui's entire body.

Lin Hao shook his head. Looks like I have no choice but to use my trump card. I wonder if the Spiritual Power I have left can hold out.

With that thought, Lin Hao lifted his head. "Hey, little poodle, what the hell are you yapping about in front of me?"

Hearing someone still mocking him, the Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff looked toward the source of the voice. "Human, I have to admit, you have courage. Then I'll start with you. You probably won't even fill the gaps between my teeth."

"Heh, little poodle, you think you can eat me? You ought to weigh yourself first."

Seeing Lin Hao keep up the taunts, the Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff didn't waste more words. It opened its massive maw and swallowed Lin Hao whole.

"No, Lin Hao!" Jiang Weiwei's eyes turned red, tears falling like broken pearls. Thinking back to their initial friction, to Lin Hao staying at Shancheng Martial University because of her, Jiang Weiwei once again felt her own insignificance and powerlessness. She had an SS-rank talent, she had both Light and Life abilities—yet in the end, she could only watch Lin Hao die before her eyes.

Su Xiaorui stood frozen too. Lin Hao, who always clashed with her, who acted like he could crush heaven and earth and air itself, who loved to mess with her—was devoured by that beast right in front of her.

But at that moment, a fierce, killing aura suddenly burst from inside the Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff's mouth. The beast's three massive heads tilted back, as if trying to bite through that aura. At the same time, its pressure effect vanished. Everyone seized the chance to retreat to a safe zone.

Jiang Weiwei tried to rush forward to save Lin Hao, but Su Xiaorui grabbed her and pulled her out of the combat range.

"Something's wrong with that beast," one instructor said gravely. "That aura in its mouth doesn't seem to belong to it. This is an opportunity—all teachers, evacuate the students immediately! Martial artists at Gold rank and above, stay behind to cover the retreat!" The instructor issued orders swiftly.

At that moment, the Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff's six eyes flew wide open. Black Light coiled around its body as it forcibly expelled that aura. The powerful force kicked up a storm of dust that blanketed the entire area.

When the dust cleared, a man in a black cloth robe, carrying a pitch-black Sword Box on his back, stood suspended in midair before the Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff. His posture was straight, his expression indifferent, with an aura untouched by the mundane world. Flowing white hair drifted in the wind. A pair of scarlet eyes stared down at the beast with contempt, as if nothing in the world mattered to him. Around him, the fine Black Lightning had transformed into sword intent thick with killing purpose.

The man spoke coldly, his voice echoing like a sound from a dry well, reaching everyone's ears. "Little poodle, didn't you want to eat me? Why stop now?"

The Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff was stunned. Its six lantern-sized eyes locked onto Lin Hao. "Who are you? Why do I feel a familiar pressure from you?"

"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that you're about to die." Lin Hao's voice was like millennia-old ice, piercing straight into the beast's heart.

"Hahaha, an ant at Bronze rank wants to shake a tree? Ridiculous. This Seat will see what you're capable of today." All three heads of the Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff burst into laughter.

"You can try," Lin Hao said, still indifferent and unhurried.

"Arrogant!"

The Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff could no longer hold back. Energy began gathering above its three massive heads. In the next instant, the energy turned into a beam of light that shot straight at Lin Hao. Lin Hao didn't dodge or evade. The beam engulfed him completely.

After a long moment, the dust settled. Lin Hao still stood there, unmoving.

"Is that all you've got?"

"Heh, mocked by an ant, am I? Then try this!" With that, an enormous black energy sphere formed above its three heads.

"Die!" The sphere, carrying terrifying energy, hurtled straight toward Lin Hao.

Lin Hao still didn't move. A faint smirk curled the corner of his indifferent mouth. The Sword Box behind him suddenly opened. With a wave of his hand, the first Flying Sword inside fell into his grasp.

It was a long, slender sword with a purple blade, named Zixiao. The first of nine Flying Swords in the box.

"Is that..." Jiang Weiwei and the others stood frozen. "That white-haired handsome guy is Lin Hao? How did he change like that? Isn't he an Ability User?" Countless questions flooded Jiang Weiwei's mind—and everyone else's.

Watching the energy sphere grow larger before him, Lin Hao closed his eyes and murmured, "Beneath the Sword Master, all laws break." Then his scarlet eyes snapped open. He raised Zixiao and swung.

"Break!!!"

A sword aura slashed into the black energy sphere. The moment they touched, the sphere exploded with a bang.

"This..." The Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff stared blankly at Lin Hao. Its strongest attack had been shattered with a single casual swing.

"This Seat doesn't believe it. How can a mere ant contend with me?" The beast roared at the sky. Countless energy bullets gathered in its mouth and blasted toward Lin Hao. He still didn't dodge. The bullets were deflected the moment they entered a ten-meter radius around him.

After the barrage, Lin Hao stood there, not even a speck of dust on him.

Cold Sweat dripped from the Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff. Its earlier arrogance was gone. "Who are you, really?"

"I think you've had your turn. Now it's mine." Lin Hao's cold voice rang out. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and countless purple thunderbolts churned within them.

Elsewhere, Jiang Hanhan led the Phoenix Legion, advancing swiftly toward their destination.

"Halt!" Jiang Hanhan stopped, staring grimly at the purple thunder rolling in the distant sky. "What a terrifying aura! Has a Diamond-rank beast infiltrated the rear of the battlefield?"

Just then, a dense crowd of people came running toward them—the Shancheng Martial University teachers and students. Jiang Hanhan didn't hesitate and moved to meet them.

One teacher, gasping for breath, recounted what had just happened. After hearing the story, Jiang Hanhan vanished from her spot. A pair of fiery Wings appeared on her back. "Phoenix Legion, by my order, escort all Shancheng Martial University personnel back to Phoenix Fortress."

She herself flew at top speed toward the cloud-darkened sky.

Back on the battlefield, countless purple lightning bolts writhed in the clouds, thunder roaring like a beast's growl. The small area looked like the end of the world.

Lin Hao raised Zixiao high and murmured, "Beneath Zixiao, ten deaths, no life. Battle skill: One Sword Opens the Heavens!"

Zixiao began to tremble in his hand. A vast sword aura surged into the blade. Not only that—the purple lightning in the sky, as if answering a call, merged into Zixiao as well.

A moment later, Lin Hao brought Zixiao down. An enormous purple crescent-shaped sword aura, carrying endless killing intent, slashed toward the Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff.

In that instant, the world seemed to freeze.

The sword fell. Lin Hao willed Zixiao back into the Sword Box, turned, and walked away. The Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff stood motionless. Finally, it let out a low, unwilling voice: "Impossible... you are..." Before it could finish, its body split in two and crashed to the ground. The sky cleared. All that remained was a bisected corpse and a bottomless sword scar.

At that moment, in a cultivation chamber at the military headquarters, Han Feng suddenly woke from his meditation. His gaze was deep as he looked out the window. He murmured softly, "Such a familiar aura."