From Sword to Slaughter: Evolution

"Brother Ma, please, spare me, let me go," Huang Qingxi pleaded, no longer caring about the pain from his severed arm. His eyes were filled with terror as he looked up at Ma Honghu.

He didn't want to die!

"You want me to spare you?" Ma Honghu's lips curled into a sneer. "Weren't you the one who arrogantly gave me a thousand gold coins to buy my woman?"

Remembering that moment, Ma Honghu's face twisted into a menacing smile.

"It was my fault, my mistake. Brother Ma, whatever amount you want, just take it from my family's wealth..." Huang Qingxi stammered.

"Your family is already mine. What else is there to take?" Ma Honghu retorted coldly.

Bang!

In the next instant, Ma Honghu stomped on Huang Qingxi's chest, pinning him to the ground. Then, with a swift motion, he severed Huang Qingxi's legs.

"Now, let me show you how it feels to have someone take your woman," Ma Honghu sneered, his eyes shifting to the women around them, their legs trembling in fear.

...

That night, it was as if an earthquake shook Tianlang City once again. The city's second most powerful family, the Huang family, was completely wiped out! From that point on, a saying spread throughout the city: "By day, the city lord is Zhao Gao, but by night, it's Ma Honghu."

"This sword just keeps getting sharper," Ma Honghu marveled the next day as he admired his weapon. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "It truly is a divine sword."

He muttered to himself, "Raising it with blood is much faster than cultivating on my own."

As long as he had this sword, his power would continue to grow without limits!

Cultivation? Not for him. It was far more comfortable to indulge in pleasures than to train arduously.

He glanced at the row of women lying on his bed, then stepped outside.

"Report, Leader. Everything is prepared," a man kneeled before Ma Honghu as he stepped out.

"Good. Tonight, the plan begins," Ma Honghu declared coldly.

What nonsense about being the 'night city lord'? He was going to become the true ruler of Tianlang City. Tonight, he would attack the City Lord's Mansion!

"I feel like your time is running out," Ye Fan commented, observing the scene with a sigh. Ma Honghu had grown far too arrogant recently. Now he even planned to attack the City Lord's Mansion.

"Without proper cultivation, relying solely on the power of [Bloodthirsty Frenzy] won't get him very far," Ye Fan continued, though Ma Honghu couldn't hear his words.

Night fell quickly. Ma Honghu led a few hundred men directly toward the City Lord's Mansion, located at the heart of the city and heavily guarded.

"Who are you people!?" The guards at the mansion turned pale as they saw the approaching horde.

"Kill them all!" Ma Honghu roared with laughter, feeling his blood boil with excitement. The experiences of the past weeks were beyond his wildest dreams. He had become the underground ruler of Tianlang City, but he wasn't satisfied. He wanted more power, more status. He wanted to control the entire City Lord's Mansion, the entire city!

His men raised their weapons and charged forward.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The City Lord's soldiers rushed out, their equipment superior to that of the attackers. But the mercenaries outnumbered them, and soon, many of the city's soldiers fell, especially as Ma Honghu led the charge, wielding the power of [Bloodthirsty Frenzy], cutting down anyone in his path.

"They've really come," Zhao Gao muttered from his vantage point above, his expression grim. He had been prepared, but the sheer number of the Violent Mercenary Group's forces was daunting.

"The Tianqiong Sect still hasn't arrived," Zhao Gao gritted his teeth, drawing a broad-bladed sword. In the next moment, he leaped down from the high wall.

"Kill them all! Leave no one from the City Lord's Mansion alive!" Ma Honghu shouted, raising his sword. But just then, he saw a flash of light approaching. Instinctively, he raised his weapon to block.

Clang!

The clash of their weapons echoed loudly.

"Damn it!" Ma Honghu stumbled back a few steps.

"I never imagined you'd be so brazen!" Zhao Gao snarled.

"Heh, it's time for you to step down as city lord," Ma Honghu sneered, activating [Bloodthirsty Frenzy].

"That's not nearly enough blood," Ye Fan observed, sensing the amount of blood Ma Honghu was sacrificing. He chuckled darkly. Such a small offering would yield little power. Besides, Zhao Gao's weapon wasn't ordinary either; it was also of B-grade quality.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Their weapons clashed repeatedly, the sound of metal striking metal reverberating through the night. But Ma Honghu was forced back with each strike.

He couldn't keep up!

Zhao Gao's strength and skill with a blade far surpassed his own.

Pain shot through Ma Honghu as a deep gash appeared on his chest, blood flowing freely. The agony on his face revealed his growing fear. He hadn't expected Zhao Gao to be this powerful.

"So, it is the power of that sword after all," Zhao Gao growled. "Die!"

As Zhao Gao swung his sword once more, Ma Honghu's face contorted in fear.

"Divine sword, give me power!" Ma Honghu screamed, channeling more of his blood into the Shadowblood Sword.

"Just as I thought—he can't keep up," Ye Fan muttered, watching as Ma Honghu's blood flowed from his pores into the sword, causing it to emit a terrifying red glow. The energy surged through Ma Honghu, making him stronger.

Clang!

The next clash of their weapons sent Ma Honghu stumbling back. But it still wasn't enough! His face twisted with rage and desperation as he continued to pour more of his life force into the sword, the blood-red energy intensifying.

"I will kill you!" Ma Honghu screamed, thrusting his sword forward with renewed speed.

His movements became faster, his reactions sharper, his strength increasing with every drop of blood sacrificed.

"I'll kill you! I'm the city lord! I'm the strongest!" Ma Honghu bellowed, consumed by his madness.

But Zhao Gao quickly realized something was wrong. Ma Honghu's state was deteriorating, yet his power was growing. He couldn't keep fighting him like this.

He needed to retreat!

"Where do you think you're going?" Ma Honghu roared, his power continuing to surge as he chased Zhao Gao down. But in his madness, he was using up his life force at an alarming rate, with no regard for the consequences.