From Sword to Slaughter: Evolution

Puh—

The man coughed up blood, and in the next instant, his entire body was thrown off the lotus platform. He crashed heavily onto the ground.

"D-Damn it…"

Blood continued to trickle from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to get back on his feet, wiping the blood away with trembling hands. His face had already turned pale.

"Overestimating oneself," scoffed several Martial Master-level warriors who witnessed the scene. The first lotus platform was not something just anyone could sit on.

One after another, other Martial Masters began jumping onto the various lotus platforms, taking their seats. The lower platforms posed no challenge for them, but for the top three platforms, the energy that surged upon sitting was overwhelming. Only the strongest warriors could endure it.

"Hmph, I'm going for one of the top three!" Spettare snorted arrogantly as he leaped forward, landing directly on the third lotus platform.

As soon as he sat down, a tremendous surge of energy exploded from the platform, slamming into his body. Spettare's eyes widened as he felt the sheer intensity of the energy. His body began to swell, and blood started to seep from the corner of his mouth.

"Ahhh!!!" He roared in agony, his eyes bulging.

Quickly, he began absorbing the surging energy, and as he continued to endure it, the energy started benefiting him rather than harming him.

"He… he stayed seated!?" After a while, Spettare hadn't been thrown off the platform, much to the surprise of the onlookers.

"Hahaha!" Spettare laughed triumphantly.

Third place! He had secured the third lotus platform. This meant that the warrior's images he would see and the energy light he would bathe in would be far more potent than those on the lower platforms.

With this, he now had a real chance of breaking through to the Martial King realm!

His face filled with elation at the thought.

Lin Luoluo, however, set her gaze on the first lotus platform.

"Oh? Are you aiming for the first platform?" Ye Fan noticed her focused expression and asked with curiosity. While Martial Masters struggled to sit on it, perhaps Lin Luoluo could manage.

"That energy is insanely powerful. If only I could absorb some of it too," Ye Fan muttered, feeling a bit envious.

By now, more and more warriors were finding their seats on the lotus platforms. The Martial Master who had blocked Lin Luoluo earlier had also taken a seat. Meanwhile, the remaining ninth-rank warriors were beginning to grow restless, eyeing the unoccupied platforms.

Even though the lower platforms didn't hold as much prestige, sitting on any of them would still be beneficial.

At that moment, Lin Luoluo gathered her strength and leapt into the air, heading straight for the first lotus platform.

"That masked woman… she's going for the first platform!?" Several warriors who noticed this were visibly shocked.

Lin Luoluo landed directly on the first platform without hesitation and immediately sat down cross-legged.

Boom—

The moment she sat, an immense surge of energy erupted from the platform, rushing into her body, causing her hair to whip around wildly.

"To dare sit on the first platform—what a fool!" Spettare scoffed disdainfully as he watched.

"Wait…" His eyes suddenly widened in recognition. "It's you!!!"

He realized that this woman was the "White-Clad Swordswoman" Lin Luoluo from before! The memory of their past encounter flooded back, and his eyes filled with killing intent. That sword of hers—he would never forget the humiliation of being chased by it and nearly losing his life.

But now that he was seated on the lotus platform, he couldn't leave.

"Let's see how long you last before you get blown off," Spettare muttered coldly.

Meanwhile, Lin Luoluo sat cross-legged on the platform, her eyes tightly shut as the overwhelming energy coursed through her body. She had yet to fully digest the white energy she had absorbed earlier, and now, with this powerful surge added to her system, her body struggled to contain it all.

In response, she directed the excess energy into her Soul-Cleaving Sword.

Healing Frenzy!

"Smart move," Ye Fan observed approvingly.

As the surplus energy flowed into the Soul-Cleaving Sword, the sword responded by feeding back potent healing and restorative energies. The internal and external injuries Lin Luoluo had sustained during her earlier battle with the Martial Master were completely healed in an instant.

Her body, now bathed in radiant light, looked otherworldly.

"She… she's still sitting there," several warriors gasped in astonishment as they watched.

Impossible! This couldn't be happening!

Spettare's face turned ashen as he witnessed the scene. Furious, he gathered his source energy into his palm, formed it into a ball, and flung it towards Lin Luoluo.

Bang—

But before it could reach her, a brilliant white light from the lotus platform deflected the attack.

"Damn it!" Spettare cursed in frustration. It was too late—he couldn't stop her now.

Huff—

Lin Luoluo exhaled deeply. That powerful surge of energy had nearly overwhelmed her, but she had managed to stabilize herself.

She then activated the newly acquired Chaos Divine Art. As the technique circulated through her body, the excess energy was swiftly absorbed and processed. The unique nature of the technique, which required immense energy for cultivation, was perfect for situations like this.

For Lin Luoluo, this wasn't a drawback—it was an advantage!

Soon, all 199 lotus platforms were occupied by warriors. Even Shang Pei had taken his seat on the 101st platform.

As each warrior sat down, a protective energy barrier formed around their platform, shielding them.

Rumble—

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, and a brilliant white light started to appear above.

The light grew brighter and brighter.

"It's… it's here!" The surrounding warriors gasped in excitement.

The Energy Light had arrived!