From Sword to Slaughter: Evolution

"This old man is truly insane," Ye Fan muttered to himself.

Right now, Ren Xing had burned through a significant amount of his blood energy, and in return, Soul Cleaver was feeding him a large amount of crimson energy, greatly enhancing his overall strength. However, if he didn't quickly replenish the lost blood, death would be inevitable. For now, he was barely surviving on the energy provided by Soul Cleaver.

Whoosh

In a flash, Ren Xing dodged the terrifying gust of wind rushing toward him.

Boom!

The spot where he had just been exploded with a deafening roar. Ren Xing, however, had already disappeared from sight.

In an instant, Ren Xing reappeared, Soul Cleaver in hand, leaping into the midst of the Lion Mercenary Corps warriors.

Shing shing shing!

All the warriors could see were flashes of sword light before they fell to the ground, one after another. Soul Cleaver was mercilessly cutting through the Lion Mercenary Corps, absorbing vast quantities of blood into the sword as Ren Xing continued his rampage.

Very quickly, Soul Cleaver was returning the absorbed blood energy into Ren Xing's body, restoring his strength.

[Killed fifth-tier warrior, gained 500 evolution points]

[Killed fourth-tier warrior, gained 400 evolution points]

The system notifications continued to pop up.

[Absorbed fifth-tier warrior's blood energy, gained 0.5 energy points]

[Absorbed fifth-tier warrior's blood energy, gained 0.5 energy points]

The data in the system interface was skyrocketing.

"Ren Xing's madness is going to get him killed at this rate," Ye Fan murmured.

As the saying goes, madness precedes destruction. This felt truer than ever now.

"I knew it, just as I thought."

From a distance, a warrior wielding a silver spear smirked.

It was Xiao Feng, the eighth-tier warrior from earlier.

With sharp eyes, Xiao Feng observed the ongoing battle from afar.

"A sword that can absorb blood... and not only that, but it's also sharp enough to cut through A-grade weapons with ease."

Xiao Feng's smirk deepened.

"How interesting... but a mere sixth-tier warrior—an old man, at that—wielding such a weapon? How absurd."

His smile twisted into something more sinister.

"But I can't make my move just yet. That sword is far too strange... I'll need to gather more people."

"Heh, soon enough, the word about that sword will spread, and many will come after it."

With a chuckle, Xiao Feng vanished into the distance. Meanwhile, Ren Xing continued his slaughter, swinging Soul Cleaver with reckless abandon.

"Stop! Stop this madness!!"

Zhao Shi's eyes widened as he watched the massacre. His Lion Mercenary Corps—the force he had painstakingly built—was being wiped out by Ren Xing!

Those warriors, clad in advanced armor and wielding superior weapons, were being felled like paper dolls beneath Ren Xing's blade.

With every swing, Ren Xing's sword cleaved through both armor and weapon alike, cutting men in half.

"Power! More power!"

Ren Xing roared. With each warrior he killed, their energy was absorbed into Soul Cleaver, feeding back into Ren Xing's body. His body surged with strength, and he felt more alive than ever.

It was intoxicating. Ren Xing was completely consumed by the desire for more power, lost in the euphoria of the kill.

At that moment, Zhao Shi, seething with rage, charged at Ren Xing from behind, brandishing a massive sword.

Clang!

But Ren Xing, as if sensing the attack, spun around and blocked the strike with Soul Cleaver.

"Do you really think you can kill me?" Ren Xing sneered, his gaze falling on Zhao Shi with a twisted smile.

He had broken through! Ren Xing had now ascended to the seventh tier, and with the all-attribute boost provided by Soul Cleaver, his power had increased even further.

"You…" Zhao Shi's eyes widened in disbelief. He could feel it—Ren Xing's power had grown significantly, far beyond what it had been moments ago. How was that possible?

"Pathetic!" Ren Xing spat coldly.

Wielding Soul Cleaver, Ren Xing launched a furious barrage of attacks.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Zhao Shi barely managed to parry the onslaught with his massive sword. His weapon was forged from diamond steel, incredibly tough—tougher than most A-grade weapons. Yet, even this mighty sword was now covered in dents and cracks, the blade notched from Soul Cleaver's relentless strikes.

The sword's durability was failing.

Damn it! How could it be this sharp? Zhao Shi's face grew increasingly grim as the damage to his sword mounted.

And it wasn't just the sword. Every time their weapons clashed, the terrifying energy emitted from Soul Cleaver sent shockwaves that tore into Zhao Shi's body, leaving gashes all over him. The longer they fought, the more desperate Zhao Shi became, sensing death looming ever closer.

"Ren Xing! I'm under the protection of Qing City's City Lord! You're the City Lord of Star City—if you kill me, do you have any idea what the consequences will be?!" Zhao Shi shouted, his voice filled with panic as he struggled to fend off Ren Xing's attacks.

"They will hunt you down and kill you!"

But Ren Xing only laughed in response, his grin widening.

"You think I care!?"

"Even if your City Lord of Qing City is at the eighth or ninth tier, if they come for me, I'll kill them too!"

Ren Xing's crazed laughter echoed as he swung Soul Cleaver with renewed force.

Boom!

With a deafening crash, Zhao Shi's diamond steel sword shattered into pieces. Shards of the broken blade embedded themselves into Zhao Shi's body, causing him immense pain.

"Goodbye!"

Ren Xing roared, raising Soul Cleaver for the final blow.

No!!! Zhao Shi screamed as a barrier of energy erupted from his body, enveloping him in a desperate attempt to shield himself from the strike.

But the raw power of Soul Cleaver was far too overwhelming. With a single slash, the energy shield was cleaved in half.

Slash!