From Sword to Slaughter: Evolution

"Hehe," Zhang Laosan watched as the group entered the Great Serpent Forest, a sinister smile curling on his lips.

"As long as I don't venture too deep into the forest, I won't encounter that terrifying Great Serpent beast," Zhang Xiaoming muttered to himself as he moved forward, heading in a different direction from where others were going.

"It's starting," he said with a grin as he heard the rustling sounds around him. Instead of fear, his lips curved into a smile because he could feel creatures approaching.

"No wonder it's called the Great Serpent Forest. I've barely stepped inside and already encountered a pack of second-rank beasts," Zhang Xiaoming thought as he surveyed his surroundings.

A closer look revealed several large creatures with sharp fangs and golden fur emerging from the bushes—second-rank beasts known as Golden Fang Boars! These beasts, with their imposing size and ferocious demeanor, seemed to view Zhang Xiaoming as a tasty meal.

"Time to evolve," Ye Fan murmured, laughing as he saw the beasts closing in. For Zhang Xiaoming, dealing with these second-rank beasts would be simple, especially with the B-grade weapon in his hand. Though the Golden Fang Boars had tough hides, they were like tofu before the sharp edge of the Flowing Light Shadow Sword!

"You're courting death," Zhang Xiaoming smirked, his figure blurring as he dashed forward!

Howl—howl—!

The Golden Fang Boars let out menacing cries and charged at Zhang Xiaoming with full force. But with a swift slash, Zhang Xiaoming's sword cut the leading boar cleanly in half. Blue blood splattered onto the blade, only to be swiftly absorbed by the sword.

[Absorbed blood of a second-rank beast, energy points gained: 0.2]

[Absorbed blood of a second-rank beast, energy points gained: 0.2]

[Killed a second-rank beast, evolution points gained: 200]

[Killed a second-rank beast, evolution points gained: 200]

As Zhang Xiaoming continued to slay the Golden Fang Boars, Ye Fan received constant notifications from the system.

[Evolution points sufficient. Proceed with evolution?]

"Yes!" Ye Fan responded without hesitation.

He was finally evolving again! This time, he would surely ascend to an A-grade weapon, right? The thought filled Ye Fan with excitement.

"Hmm?" Zhang Xiaoming, who had just killed the boars, felt his sword tremble slightly, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Thump, thump—

He felt a sensation from the sword, almost like a heartbeat. "What's happening?" he wondered as he examined the dark blade closely.

Boom, boom—

Suddenly, the sky above him darkened ominously.

"Could it be that the Great Serpent is about to appear?!" Zhang Laosan and several other warriors, standing on a tall rock outside the Great Serpent Forest, noticed the strange phenomenon in the sky. Their expressions changed.

"No, it's not the Great Serpent!" They quickly shook their heads. The appearance of the Great Serpent wouldn't cause something like this.

"Elder, we might be overthinking it. The weather hasn't been great these past few days," one of the middle-aged men suggested.

"That could be it," the others agreed, and Zhang Laosan nodded.

Boom, boom—

Meanwhile, thunder rumbled ominously above Zhang Xiaoming's head.

"This... this is..." Zhang Xiaoming's eyes widened in shock as he watched the sky brewing with terrifying lightning, as if it were about to strike him.

"What the heck! Evolution comes with a lightning tribulation? I'm just evolving to A-grade!" Ye Fan exclaimed, incredulous.

Zhang Xiaoming felt a surge of panic. "Could it be... this sword is cursed, and the heavens want to destroy it?" He stared at the Flowing Light Shadow Sword in his hand, trembling.

"Idiot!" Ye Fan cursed silently, annoyed.

"It's coming!" Zhang Xiaoming saw the lightning about to strike. His face paled, and he quickly planted the sword in the ground before leaping aside.

Boom—!

A bolt of lightning crashed down, striking the Flowing Light Shadow Sword directly.

"I'm just a sword, I don't feel pain," Ye Fan hummed a little tune to himself as the lightning struck the blade. The impact caused cracks to appear on the sword's surface, but as the outer layer began to peel away, the sword's form started to change.

"Wait... this sword... is it evolving?!" Zhang Xiaoming, watching from a distance, was stunned. His eyes widened in disbelief as he witnessed the transformation.

Legend had it that divine weapons forged by master craftsmen would undergo such terrifying heavenly tribulations when they were completed.

"Though this lightning isn't as bad as I feared," Zhang Xiaoming sighed in relief, noticing the small arcs of electricity still dancing on the sword's surface.

[Evolution successful.]

Ye Fan saw his system interface update:

[Host]: Ye Fan

[Sword Name]: Demon Slayer (Dark & Light)

[Grade]: A

[Active Skills]:

[Phantom Dance] (A-grade): A dazzling sword dance that deals significant damage to the enemy.

[Blood Burst] (A-grade): Concentrates all the user's blood energy into a devastating explosion.

[Passive Skills]:

[Bloodsucking] (A-grade): Absorbs blood to increase the sword's sharpness and gain energy points.

[Devourer] (A-grade): Absorbs the sword master's blood energy upon their death.

[Attribute Energy] (A-grade): When the sword master infuses energy into the blade, it gains suitable attribute energy. Currently has [Light] and [Dark] attributes.

[All Attributes Boost] (A-grade): Increases the sword master's abilities according to their cultivation level.

[Ominous Sword] (A-grade): Low-level sword masters are likely to encounter misfortune while wielding the sword.

[Menacing Aura] (A-grade): The sword emits a sinister aura that suppresses nearby beings. If the sword master is too weak, they will also be affected.

[Evolution Points]: 860/100,000

[Energy]: 255.5

"A-grade!" Ye Fan exclaimed in delight.