From Sword to Slaughter: Evolution

As the energy from his blood continued to drain, the power surging through his body grew stronger, more intense with every passing second.

He was getting stronger!

Soon, Ma Honghu closed the distance between him and Zhao Gao. With a swift motion, he thrust the Shadowblood Sword toward Zhao Gao's back.

Whoosh!

The sound of the blade slicing through the air made Zhao Gao's pupils contract. Instinctively, he tilted his head to the side.

The sword narrowly missed, grazing his ear.

The close call sent a shiver down Zhao Gao's spine. Had he not moved in time, that strike would have pierced his skull!

"Die!" Ma Honghu's voice echoed from behind.

Zhao Gao had no choice but to turn and block the incoming attack with his sword.

Clang!

The sword struck Zhao Gao's blade, forcing him back several steps. He glanced at his weapon and saw a deep dent forming in the blade.

That sword is too sharp!

Moreover, Ma Honghu's current state was terrifying. His body radiated an eerie red energy, which seemed to envelop him, making him even more formidable. Yet, his body had started to shrink, becoming emaciated and ghastly.

"The city lord's seat is mine!" Ma Honghu roared.

He wanted to become a man above all others!

[Phantom Dance]!

As he channeled his inner power into the Shadowblood Sword, Ma Honghu unleashed a powerful sword technique.

What is this?

Zhao Gao's eyes widened as he watched countless sword shadows rush toward him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

With no way to escape, Zhao Gao frantically swung his blade, trying to fend off the onslaught. But the technique was too overwhelming.

Soon, Zhao Gao's body was covered in wounds. Even his sturdy armor couldn't withstand the Shadowblood Sword's cuts, and his body bled profusely.

The blood that splattered from his wounds was quickly absorbed by the sword.

[Absorb the blood of a third-rank warrior to gain 0.3 energy points]

[Absorb the blood of a third-rank warrior to gain 0.3 energy points]

…

As the system notifications rang in Ye Fan's mind, he grew excited.

"The blood of a third-rank warrior really provides a lot of energy."

The more energy he accumulated, the longer he could sustain himself in action.

"But this Ma Honghu is ruthless. He's burning through his blood energy so quickly—how will he replenish it later?"

Ma Honghu couldn't hear Ye Fan's musings. He continued to deplete his blood energy, causing his body to become increasingly gaunt.

But the power he gained in return was immense.

"You…" Zhao Gao gasped as Ma Honghu drove another strike toward him.

Bang!

The final thrust pierced Zhao Gao's chest!

[Kill a third-rank warrior to gain 300 evolution points]

With the system notification, Ye Fan knew Zhao Gao was dead.

"You've killed the lord of Tianlang City, but what will you do next?" Ye Fan wondered aloud, his curiosity piqued.

At this moment, the Shadowblood Sword, still impaled in Zhao Gao's chest, continued to absorb the blood from his body. Soon, all of Zhao Gao's blood was drained.

Some of it returned to Ma Honghu, but even that wasn't enough to restore his strength.

"Blood, I need more blood."

Ma Honghu yanked the sword from Zhao Gao's chest, looking down at his own body, now withered from excessive blood loss.

If this continued, he would die!

He needed to absorb more blood quickly, relying on the sword's power to recover his original form.

His gaze turned to the remaining survivors. The City Lord's Mansion had been nearly wiped out, leaving only members of the Violent Mercenary Group.

"Leader! We're about to take over the City Lord's Mansion!" a few mercenaries exclaimed, rushing over with excitement.

"Blood, I need blood," Ma Honghu muttered, his eyes still filled with murderous intent as he looked at them.

He couldn't hold back any longer!

In the next instant, he swung the Shadowblood Sword at them!

The mercenaries were instantly sliced in half by the sword's sharp edge. Blood gushed out and was absorbed by the blade, though it only slightly replenished Ma Honghu's depleted energy.

But it still wasn't enough.

He turned to the remaining men, raising his sword and beginning a frenzied slaughter.

[Kill a first-rank warrior to gain 100 evolution points]

[Kill a first-rank warrior to gain 100 evolution points]

…

The system notifications continued to sound.

"The leader has gone mad! Run!!" The surviving mercenaries panicked and tried to flee as Ma Honghu, now a crazed killer, cut down everyone around him.

"Blood! I need more blood!!!"

Time seemed to pass in a blur. When it was over, the area was littered with corpses. The blood had been completely absorbed by the Shadowblood Sword, yet Ma Honghu's body remained shriveled.

He had consumed too much blood energy to kill Zhao Gao, and he couldn't recover it.

"A first-rank peak warrior killing a third-rank, nearly exhausting all his blood energy—did he really think he could just absorb it all back? Tsk tsk," Ye Fan observed with a sigh.

"Divine sword, divine sword, quickly, give me blood, save me!" Ma Honghu cried out, clutching the sword in desperation.

But the blade didn't move.

"Ah!!!"

In a fit of madness, Ma Honghu threw the sword to the ground, clutching his head and screaming wildly.

Bang!

Then he collapsed to the ground, eyes wide open, lifeless.

Ma Honghu was dead.

[Achievement unlocked: The Unfortunate Sword]

[New Passive Skill unlocked: The Unfortunate Sword] (If the wielder's power is too low, they will attract misfortune.)

"So, if a low-level warrior wields this sword, they're more likely to meet a bad end?"

Ye Fan examined his newly unlocked passive skill, musing aloud.

Looking around at the sea of corpses, he wondered how long it would take before someone else came along.

"Heh heh."

Just then, a voice sounded from the side.

"Hmm!?"

Ye Fan turned his attention toward the sound, noticing a man approaching with a sly grin on his face.

"That bastard Ma Honghu is finally dead. He even killed his own men. I spit on him!" The man spat on Ma Honghu's corpse before turning his gaze to the sword lying beside it.

"So, this is Ma Honghu's divine sword."