From Sword to Slaughter: Evolution

At that moment, Cheng Jifei finally took a closer look at his black sword. Cracks had formed all over its surface, as if it would shatter with the next impact.

His eyes widened in disbelief, shock spreading across his face.

"Even though I don't want to kill," Zhou Huachao said calmly, "you've pushed me too far. Now, I can't let any of you leave."

As he spoke, Zhou Huachao charged toward Cheng Jifei with his sword raised, striking without hesitation. Cheng Jifei, unable to react in time, instinctively raised his black sword to block the attack.

Bang!

Before the two weapons could fully clash, the sheer force from Ji Mie caused the black sword to shatter into pieces, with fragments of the blade embedding themselves into Cheng Jifei's body.

"Aaaah!" Cheng Jifei screamed in agony. But Zhou Huachao's strike had already landed, slicing Cheng Jifei's body in half from shoulder to waist.

[Killed Martial Master-level warrior, gained 100,000 evolution points]

[Absorbed Martial Master-level blood essence, gained 10 energy points]

The other mercenaries froze in terror, their bodies trembling as they stared at the scene in horror.

"The Deputy Leader... is dead..."

They looked at Zhou Huachao in panic, wanting to flee, but their legs shook with fear, making escape impossible.

"Zhou Huachao! Don't kill me!" Chen Hei, now pale with fright, pleaded desperately.

"Goodbye," Zhou Huachao said indifferently. He activated Phantom Dance, and in an instant, his figure blurred as he slashed through the air.

Swish, swish, swish—

Dozens of sword lights flashed, and in the blink of an eye, the remaining mercenaries collapsed, their bodies falling lifelessly to the ground.

"They were all low-tier warriors. They barely contributed to my evolution points," Ye Fan muttered to himself, watching the scene unfold.

"Don't bully honest people," Zhou Huachao said coldly, glancing at the lifeless bodies around him. Without a second thought, he gathered the scattered gold coins into his storage ring.

Now that he had killed Zhang Feifan and members of the Black Serpent Mercenary Group, he knew he needed to leave quickly. If the group's leader found him, things would get much more dangerous.

The leader of the Black Serpent Mercenary Group was a Martial King. Zhou Huachao, even with Ji Mie, wasn't ready to face a warrior of that caliber.

Best to retreat for now, train, and return stronger in the future. As Zhou Huachao approached the city gate, however, he realized that the gate had already been sealed shut.

"No one is allowed to leave the city today," one of the gate guards said sternly, stopping a group of warriors attempting to exit.

"Why?"

"Why can't we leave all of a sudden?"

"I have urgent business! I need to get out of the city!"

The crowd grumbled in frustration, but there was nothing they could do. The lord of Arid North City was known for his authoritarian rule. No one could defy his orders.

"Damn it," Zhou Huachao muttered under his breath, realizing the situation was dire. He couldn't force his way out, not without risking confrontation with the guards or alerting more powerful enemies. Especially if there were Martial Kings involved—he wasn't ready for that.

For now, he decided to lay low. Zhou Huachao quietly made his way back to a small house he had secretly purchased in Arid North City. No one knew about it. Once inside, he shut the door and immediately began his training, taking out a large number of source stones.

Time was of the essence. With Ji Mie in hand, Zhou Huachao's cultivation speed had skyrocketed. Sitting cross-legged, he absorbed the energy from the source stones, which he had taken from the storage rings of the warriors he had slain.

He had a plentiful supply of source stones.

Meanwhile, at the Arid North City lord's manor.

"So, it was a coffin bearer named Zhou Huachao?"

Zhao Huangwu, the city lord, reported the findings to Lei Lingfei, leader of the Black Serpent Mercenary Group.

"A coffin bearer, this strong?" Lei Lingfei furrowed his brows. Coffin bearers were merely tools under Zhang Feifan's control, just a means to earn money.

"I spoke to the other coffin bearers. They mentioned Zhou Huachao wielding a strange sword," Zhao Huangwu continued. "That sword is likely the source of his newfound power."

"A strange sword..." Lei Lingfei murmured, thinking aloud. "Could this be related to what happened in the Dilong Empire?"

He turned to Zhao Huangwu, his eyes sharp.

"It seems you recall that incident," Zhao Huangwu said, sipping his tea. "The Dilong Empire was brought to ruin by a single sword. Their most powerful warriors were all wiped out. The empire has since fallen."

"You think this sword is the same as the one from the Dilong Empire?" Lei Lingfei asked skeptically. "We're so far from the Dilong Empire. Is that even possible?"

"A sword that allows an eighth-tier warrior to suddenly kill a peak Martial Master? And one that can absorb blood essence? Tell me, doesn't that sound like the legendary sword?" Zhao Huangwu said coldly.

Lei Lingfei nodded gravely.

"It does seem similar. In that case, we definitely can't let him leave Arid North City."

"Don't worry," Zhao Huangwu assured him. "The city gates are sealed, and we've begun a full-scale search. We'll find him soon enough. If I'm right, that sword must emit a powerful aura of malice. Without a special sheath, it'll be impossible for him to hide it."

"Good. I want to see what kind of sword it really is," Lei Lingfei said, standing up with determination.

He was going to track down Zhou Huachao himself.