As soon as Fang Hao stepped onto the dueling platform, Guan Min grinned viciously, like a hunter watching his prey take the bait. His true face now fully exposed.

"Come at me with all you've got. Let me see what kind of strength you really have."

Guan Min stood confidently, hands behind his back, looking down at Fang Hao with condescension.

To him, this fight was already won.

Finishing Fang Hao would take no effort at all—but toying with him a little first might be fun.

"You've gone too far!"

Still deep in his act, Fang Hao turned into an easily-provoked hothead, face flushed red as he slashed out with his sword.

"Hmm?"

That sword light stretched hundreds of feet, filled with razor-sharp sword intent that seemed to slice open the very air.

Guan Min hadn't expected this. He dodged, but his escape was clumsy—embarrassingly so.

"Courting death!!"

Humiliated, Guan Min stopped holding back. He summoned a massive battle axe, charging like an ancient beast.

A terrifying pressure surged forward like a tidal wave. If Fang Hao hadn't been strong enough, that aura alone would've crushed him.

"Mountain Cleaver!!"

Guan Min's giant axe came crashing down.

An image of a titanic, sky-splitting axe appeared above Fang Hao, crashing down with overwhelming power.

But the moment it landed—Fang Hao's figure was gone.

Shhh—shhh—shhh!

Fang Hao's sword spun through the air, conjuring countless sword shadows that spiraled above him, forming a sword tornado.

It grew louder, denser, until the sky over the platform was filled with swirling sword light.

"To think you had this level of skill! I underestimated you!"

Guan Min was startled and quickly discarded his arrogance, swinging his axe with a world-splitting force.

"Go!"

Fang Hao pointed his blade, and the sword shadows coalesced into a giant green serpent, flying at Guan Min from all directions.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The serpent clashed with the axe, scattering shockwaves like raindrops in a still lake.

"Hmph. Just flashy tricks!"

Guan Min snorted, hacking the sword shadows apart with brute strength.

He didn't realize Fang Hao had deliberately pulled back, using only 20% of his strength in that last move.

Fang Hao didn't rush. He used a variety of sword techniques, not only to maintain appearances—but to use Guan Min as a live sparring partner to hone his skills.

At first glance, it seemed Fang Hao was being overwhelmed.

But the observant would notice: while Guan Min could block every attack, he was only defending—never getting a chance to go on the offensive.

It looked like Guan Min had the upper hand, but in truth, Fang Hao controlled the flow of battle.

After a full incense stick's time, Guan Min yawned.

"Alright, playtime's over. Time to send you on your way."

He glanced coldly toward Jin Tianlu in the crowd, eyes brimming with killing intent.

"Haaah!"

He gripped his axe with both hands and unleashed all his true essence, chopping down from above.

The axe, now like a falling mountain, came crashing with devastating might.

If a ten-thousand-foot peak had stood there, it would've been split clean in two.

Seeing that, Fang Hao finally decided to reveal a portion of his true power.

"Sky-Dancing Sword Light!"

A blinding flash of sword light cut through the air.

Pffft!!

Before Guan Min could even react, it was already inches away.

"No—!!"

He didn't have time to dodge or block. His eyes widened as the radiant sword light pierced through his body.

The entire platform went silent.

Bang!

Clatter…

Guan Min's lifeless body fell limply to the floor, his battle axe clattering after.

Moments ago, he had been a powerhouse.

Now, he lay like a dead dog, eyes still wide with disbelief and regret.

Fang Hao landed unsteadily, looking completely drained—barely able to stand.

If Jin Tianlu hadn't rushed forward to catch him, he'd have collapsed.

"You alright, little brother?" Jin Tianlu asked, eyes filled with shock and complexity.

He had never imagined Fang Hao could kill Guan Min, a man two tiers stronger.

While awestruck, his heart was also filled with regret.

He should've bet more!

"Why did I only put down a hundred!? Why didn't I follow his lead and bet four hundred!?"

With 6-to-1 odds, he could've earned 2,400 high-grade spirit stones!

"What have I done… what have I missed out on!?"

"I'm fine. Just drained," Fang Hao replied, pale-faced.

He looked like he had overdrawn his life force to unleash a move beyond his capacity.

That way, even if he faced equally strong or stronger opponents next, his odds would still remain high.

This wasn't just a battle—it was a game of strength and acting.

"You really went all out…" Jin Tianlu muttered.

He thought Fang Hao's "I'll go all out" was just for show. After all, sometimes even trying your best wasn't enough.

Who knew Fang Hao was that powerful?

"You could've told me you were a monster!"

Fang Hao pointed toward the betting area.

Jin Tianlu immediately understood and helped him over to collect their winnings.

Jin Tianlu had bet 100 high-grade spirit stones, and now got 600.

Fang Hao had bet 400 and received 2,400 in return.

Now Jin Tianlu truly understood why so many people came to bet.

One win could mean a massive payday.

If not for the need to stay low-profile and not alarm the bookmakers, Fang Hao would've gone all in.

Even though Jin Tianlu had won a nice sum, seeing Fang Hao's full pouch of spirit stones made his heart ache.

"Little brother, next time you bet, I'm with you all the way!"

Fang Hao waved it off.

"Better not. Sometimes I get reckless. Luckily Guan Min got cocky and gave me a chance. Otherwise, we'd have lost that 500."

Jin Tianlu grinned, "If you win, then you're strong. Simple as that."

Not long after, Fang Hao's next opponent was revealed—also at the sixth tier of the Heavenly Palace Realm.

Both men sighed in relief.

Jin Tianlu was worried that another strong opponent might be too much in Fang Hao's current state.

Fang Hao, meanwhile, was just continuing the act.

Most participants in the tournament were in the Heavenly Palace Realm.

Meeting someone of the same tier in the third round was normal.

"Thank heavens. If you'd faced another powerhouse like Guan Min, you'd have been in real trouble," said Jin Tianlu.

"Not 'might be'—I definitely wouldn't have lasted," Fang Hao replied.

Their every word was deliberately audible to those nearby—to sell the image that Fang Hao was barely hanging on.

It was part of why his odds had been so high last round.

After two rounds of winning across realms, Fang Hao now faced someone at his own level. His perceived odds of winning dropped.

But a small win is still a win—and neither he nor Jin Tianlu would pass up the chance.

They placed bets again.

"Let's go rest. Even if the next guy's the same tier, you'll need full recovery. We can't afford to mess up now," Jin Tianlu said.

Fang Hao nodded weakly.

Jin Tianlu helped him leave the arena.

After resting for two hours, they returned.

Fang Hao looked even worse—unsteady steps, pale face, low energy.

In truth, he had barely used any strength at all. He was just maintaining the illusion of not being fully recovered.

When the match started, even against a fellow sixth-tier opponent, Fang Hao took his time, dragging the fight out before scoring a narrow victory.

His performance was so refined and deliberate that even Fang Chu would've applauded.

The acting wasn't just good—it was flawlessly strategic.