From Sword to Slaughter: Evolution

"No, we haven't found him."

A member of the Violent Tiger Mercenary Group shook his head.

"He's just a first-rank martial artist. With the beast tide, he's probably been torn apart by the beasts by now."

One of the men sneered.

Xin Haohui frowned deeply.

Even though Ye Lan was only a first-rank martial artist, that sword of his was anything but ordinary. Who knew what might have happened?

...

Three days had passed. Ye Lan had survived in the Emerald Forest all that time.

The ground around him was littered with the corpses of various beasts.

"Who else dares to come at me!?"

Ye Lan's hair was disheveled, his eyes wild as he shouted into the forest, his voice tinged with madness.

He had survived the beast tide.

But his left arm had been bitten off by a beast during the fight.

Fortunately, he had carried a special powder with him, which had prevented him from bleeding to death.

Even so, his body was now weak.

The beast tide had finally receded, and seeing no more beasts approaching, Ye Lan hungrily tore into the carcasses of the fallen beasts.

He was starving and could no longer afford to be picky.

"He actually survived."

Ye Fan was surprised.

Quite a few beasts had come through these past few days. He had thought Ye Lan was done for.

But this was a good thing. If Ye Lan had died in the forest, who knew when the next sword master would appear?

"My Evolution Points have reached 5,800."

"I can choose to evolve now."

Ye Fan checked his accumulated points and immediately selected to evolve.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

Ye Lan noticed the Shadow Blood-drinking Sword beside him start to tremble.

"What's happening!?"

Ye Lan was startled and quickly picked up the sword.

He watched as the sword began to change.

The patterns on the blade became more intricate, and the sword grew longer, its edge sharper.

Ye Lan tested it with a single strand of hair, which was instantly sliced in two the moment it touched the blade.

The sword had turned black, but when it moved, it shimmered with a strange light.

[Evolution Successful]

The system notification appeared, and Ye Fan saw that the system interface had changed again:

[Host]: Ye Fan

[Sword Name]: Glimmering Shadow Sword (A longsword infused with dark energy, capable of absorbing blood, extremely sharp)

[Quality]: B

[Active Skill]: [Phantom Dance] (B-rank): A dazzling sword dance that inflicts massive damage on enemies

[Passive Skills]: Blood-drinking (B-rank) (Absorbs blood to enhance the sword's sharpness and gain Energy Points)

Devour Master (B-rank) (Absorbs the blood and energy of the sword master upon their death)

Attribute Energy (B-rank) (When the sword master channels energy into the sword, it gains the attribute energy of the master; currently available attributes: Light, Dark)

Full Attribute Amplification (B-rank) (Enhances all of the sword master's abilities based on their cultivation level)

[Evolution Points]: 800/20,000

[Energy]: 101.4

"The quality has improved again."

"At this level, it's already better than most weapons used by third-rank martial artists."

Ye Fan was pleased with the changes.

But the next evolution would require 20,000 points!

The requirements were increasing rapidly.

"But this new passive skill feels a bit strange."

"It actually boosts the sword master's abilities."

Ye Fan was puzzled.

At first, the Blood-drinking and Devour Master skills made him feel like he was becoming a demonic sword.

But this Full Attribute Amplification—did it mean he was on the path to becoming a divine sword instead?

"Divine or demonic, it's just a matter of perspective. If the sword master keeps killing people, I might evolve into a demonic sword. But lately, Ye Lan has only been killing beasts, so this evolution didn't unlock any sinister abilities."

Ye Fan speculated.

It was likely that the sword's final evolution depended on the nature of the sword master.

"This sword..."

Ye Lan stared at the Glimmering Shadow Sword, now clearly transformed, with awe.

As he held the sword, he could feel an unusual power flowing into his body.

It felt as though his entire being had changed.

His mind was clearer than ever, and his previously exhausted body now felt full of energy.

"A divine sword, this is truly a divine sword!"

Ye Lan muttered to himself, marveling at the Glimmering Shadow Sword.

"Damn Xin Haohui... I'll make you pay for this!"

Ye Lan glanced at his severed arm, his face twisted with hatred.

If it weren't for them, he wouldn't have been forced to flee into the forest and suffer such an injury.

"I will have my revenge."

He gritted his teeth.

In the days that followed, Ye Lan didn't rush to leave the forest.

He stayed to recover his strength through cultivation.

With the sword in hand, he could clearly feel his cultivation speed increasing!

One evening, after roasting and eating some beast meat over a fire he had started, Ye Lan took up the Glimmering Shadow Sword, ready to leave.

He had reached the peak of the first rank.

He was confident that with this divine sword, he could even kill second-rank martial artists.

"I must kill Xin Haohui before I leave."

When he finally emerged from the Emerald Forest, there were no members of the Violent Tiger Mercenary Group in sight.

It seemed they had given up the search for him, likely assuming he had died in the forest.

Ye Lan had initially planned to leave Tianlang City directly, but the thought of Xin Haohui made his blood boil.

It had become an obsession, a grudge he couldn't let go of.

In his mind, his lost arm was all Xin Haohui's fault!

Disheveled and looking like a beggar, with his hair matted and his clothes tattered, Ye Lan returned to the city.

The guards gave him a cursory glance but didn't say anything.

After all, he was just a one-armed beggar carrying a dark sword.

"Back again."

"When will we leave Tianlang City?"

Ye Fan couldn't help but reflect as he observed the familiar streets.

Life inside the sword was unbearably dull.

And it wasn't as though he could talk to anyone; no one could hear him.

"If I can become an SSS-ranked weapon soon, maybe I'll be able to fully control myself?"

Right now, he could move, but it required energy, and the amount he had was too limited to get very far.

Ye Lan sold some beast crystals, earning a decent sum of gold coins. He then went to a tavern and indulged in a hearty meal.

The city was still full of members of the Violent Tiger Mercenary Group, but no one recognized him.

Not only because of his disheveled appearance but also because he was missing an arm.

The looks of disdain and the scornful gazes from those around him only deepened Ye Lan's resolve.

He said nothing, silently drinking his wine.

Late into the night...

"Gentlemen, we've pinpointed the location of that third-rank beast."

Members of the Violent Tiger Mercenary Group were gathered in a section of the tavern, drinking and discussing their next move.

"Tomorrow, we'll follow the captain to slay that beast."

"Haha, only we can take on tasks of this level in Tianlang City now."

"By the way, has anyone found Ye Lan's body?"

A familiar voice drifted over, causing Ye Lan, who was in the middle of a drink, to narrow his eyes.