From Sword to Slaughter: Evolution

"Why, can't I take it back first?" Feng Wutian glared at Lin San, his voice cold.

There was a time when Lin San was unrivaled in the sect, and Feng Wutian had once looked up to him. Now, thinking back on it filled him with shame. He had even asked this now-useless person for advice. The thought made Feng Wutian's expression grow even darker.

As he walked toward Lin San, he reached out to grab Lin San by the collar. However, Lin San merely raised an eyebrow, shifted his body, and easily dodged the attempt.

"Oh? You still know how to resist? You're just a lowly second-rank warrior. Do you still think you're someone important...?"

Before Feng Wutian could finish his sentence, his face twisted with anger. In an instant, he swung a fist toward Lin San.

"Heh." Lin San let out a cold laugh. He clenched his left hand into a fist and met Feng Wutian's blow head-on.

BANG!

The two fists collided, producing a thunderous sound. Feng Wutian felt a powerful force surge through him, forcing him to take several steps back. Lin San, too, was pushed back a few steps.

"It's not enough yet. I still need more time to train," Lin San thought as he felt a slight pain in his fist. Although his meridians had been cleared, it would still take time for his strength to fully recover. However, he hadn't wasted the past four years. Even though he couldn't advance his rank, he had honed his fundamentals every day. His foundation was now rock-solid.

"You…" Feng Wutian stared at Lin San, his eyes wide with shock. Today, Lin San seemed different, almost as if the old Lin San had returned.

No, it couldn't be! He was nothing more than a waste now!

"If you don't leave, my sword won't be so merciful," Lin San said, his voice cold as he swept his gaze over them. At that moment, a menacing aura accompanied by a strange, sinister energy emanated from Lin San's body.

Feng Wutian and his followers shuddered involuntarily.

"You…" Feng Wutian felt a deep-seated fear rise within him for reasons he couldn't explain.

"Get out!" Lin San bellowed.

"Just you wait!" Feng Wutian could only mutter a threat before quickly leaving.

"Heh." Watching them leave, Lin San chuckled to himself.

"A bird that never sings will amaze everyone when it does."

"Four years… I haven't wasted them."

Lin San murmured as he held his sword. He began practicing his swordsmanship again. Now that his meridians were unblocked, his movements were more fluid, and with every slash, sword energy burst forth.

"In this world, being a second-rank warrior capable of producing sword energy is a sign of true genius," Ye Fan remarked, impressed by what he saw. Having spent some time in this strange world, Ye Fan had learned a few things about it. Mastering sword energy was a fundamental yet challenging milestone for any sword practitioner. None of the previous sword masters, including Zhang Xiaoming, had been able to wield sword energy like this.

When Lin San grew tired of practicing, he sat down and resumed his cultivation, drawing in large amounts of energy to temper his body. As he activated the [Golden Crow Scorching Sun Technique], his skin seemed to ignite with an internal fire as the energy tempered his flesh.

"Hmm, I can add another technique to my records," Ye Fan thought. Life as a sword was dull, so he spent his time memorizing the cultivation techniques and martial skills of his sword masters. Who knows, maybe one day he could use them if he ever took on a human form again.

"Though, I wonder if I could ever turn back into a person…" Ye Fan mused, a bit frustrated. "Oh well, I should just focus on upgrading to SSS-rank first!"

SSS-rank was said to be the realm of legendary divine weapons!

Time passed quickly, and soon it was the next day.

"I've broken through!" Lin San opened his eyes, and an excited shout escaped his lips. As he looked at the sword in his hand, his eyes widened in astonishment.

This feels incredible! For four long years, he hadn't made any progress. But now, on the second day after clearing his meridians, he had finally advanced to the third rank!

Feeling the newfound strength coursing through his body, Lin San was overwhelmed with emotion, his eyes reddening.

Four years… Four long years!

He could hardly comprehend how he had survived those years without progress.

"Lin San, where are you?"

A man and a young woman approached from a distance.

"Master, Junior Sister," Lin San greeted them with a slight smile.

The young woman, whom Lin San addressed as Junior Sister, looked at him with clear disdain in her eyes. Though Lin San was handsome, his strength was too lacking. In this world, weakness was a crime!

"Being weak in the martial world is a sin," Ye Fan thought, observing the scene unfold. "Wait a second, this feels familiar. Oh no, don't tell me this is one of those cliché 'cancel the engagement' moments," Ye Fan groaned, a chill running down his spine as he recalled similar stories.

"Now that you're here, there's something I need to discuss with you," Lin San's master, Zhang Tiansha, said after a moment of hesitation.

"Please, come inside," Lin San offered politely.

"No need. I'll just speak plainly here," Zhang Tiansha replied, shaking his head. "It's about the engagement I once mentioned between you and Xiao Ling…"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "It was just an idle joke back then. It shouldn't be taken seriously."

Lin San smiled and shook his head. "I agree. It was never meant to be taken seriously."

Zhang Tiansha was momentarily surprised by Lin San's response, but then he stroked his beard and smiled. "Indeed. However, Xiao Ling is now eighteen, and it's important to clarify these things to avoid any misunderstandings that could affect her reputation."

Zhao Xiaoling, the young woman standing beside Zhang Tiansha, tilted her head slightly, her expression haughty. She was now one of the sect's most promising disciples, having reached the third rank at the age of eighteen. There was a time when she had admired Lin San, but that was when he was a dazzling genius. Now, at twenty, Lin San was still stuck at the peak of the second rank—a fact that even some outer disciples had surpassed. Whenever someone mentioned her and Lin San in the same breath, she felt nothing but shame.

Yes, deep shame!