The crescent-shaped flames surged forward with terrifying force.
The first person hit by the flames was split in half instantly, while others, who were barely touched by the white fire, were engulfed and began burning alive!
"Ahhhh!!!"
Screams of agony echoed as the flames consumed them.
[Killed third-stage warrior. Evolution points gained: 300 points.]
[Killed third-stage warrior. Evolution points gained: 300 points.]
...
The third-stage warriors were wiped out instantly, while the fourth-stage warriors were rolling on the ground in a desperate attempt to extinguish the unrelenting white flames.
"This sword technique… it's so powerful…" Lin San muttered to himself, staring at the Demon-Slaying Sword in disbelief.
It seemed as though he had only scratched the surface of the sword's true potential.
"Was that a technique unleashed by Lin San?" Ren Xing's eyes were filled with astonishment. The white flames that had just scorched the battlefield were terrifying beyond imagination. Even the fourth-stage warriors were writhing on the ground, engulfed in the burning agony of the white fire.
But Ren Xing wasn't worried for long. His sharp eyes caught something crucial.
"It looks like using that technique drained him completely."
Ren Xing's lips curled into a sinister smile as he observed Lin San, who was now visibly panting and exhausted.
Indeed, Lin San had expended nearly all his source energy to unleash that attack. He had nothing left.
"Heh, Lin San, are you out of strength now?" Ren Xing sneered, picking up a sword from a fallen warrior as he slowly approached Lin San.
Lin San clutched the Demon-Slaying Sword tightly, his eyes fixed on Ren Xing. He was completely drained—his source energy depleted, his body fatigued. He had no strength left to fight.
Meanwhile, Ren Xing had barely used any of his energy.
"Hand over your sword, and maybe I'll let you live," Ren Xing offered, his tone cold yet calculating.
In truth, Ren Xing was somewhat apprehensive about the sword Lin San wielded. There was something eerie about it, as though he were confronting a far more powerful being than Lin San himself.
"Ren Xing wants to become the sword master, huh?" Ye Fan scoffed internally. "This old fool… He's only fifth stage and already declining in potential. Lin San's growth is much more promising."
Ye Fan knew that once Lin San absorbed the energy from the beast cores he had collected, reaching the fifth stage wouldn't take long. But now, everything depended on whether Lin San could survive this moment.
"You want my sword?" Lin San's voice was laced with cold sarcasm as he spoke.
"Do you think I'll just hand it over to you?"
His expression grew firm as he glanced at the edge of the cliff nearby. With a determined gaze, he bit his lip and made a bold decision. In an instant, Lin San leaped off the cliff!
"Lin San!!!"
Ren Xing's enraged scream echoed through the mountains as he watched Lin San vanish into the mist below.
He sprinted to the edge of the cliff, but it was too late. Lin San's figure had already disappeared into the thick clouds and fog that clung to the mountainside.
"Damn it!!!"
Ren Xing's voice trembled with fury. Lin San was gone, and worse still, the sword had escaped his grasp!
"Don't think you can escape me!" Ren Xing snarled with a vicious expression. The area below was filled with towering ancient trees and a flowing river. Lin San might survive the fall, but he would undoubtedly be injured.
Meanwhile, Lin San plummeted down the mountainside.
His body crashed into tree branches, snapping them as he descended, which slowed his fall and absorbed some of the impact.
Thud!
Finally, his body hit the ground with a heavy thump, and the Demon-Slaying Sword fell from his grip, landing nearby.
Everything went black as Lin San lost consciousness.
"He's still alive," Ye Fan muttered, noticing Lin San's faint breathing. The sword spirit let out a sigh of relief.
Ye Fan stood up, the tip of the sword touching the ground as he scanned their surroundings. They had landed in a dense forest, and soon enough, a large beast emerged, drooling as it approached Lin San.
"A Berserk Tiger… a fourth-stage beast," Ye Fan observed calmly. "I can't let Lin San die here. If I lose him, I'll be stuck here for who knows how long."
With limited energy reserves, Ye Fan couldn't afford to move far on his own.
As the Berserk Tiger lunged toward Lin San, Ye Fan acted swiftly, using the little energy he had left.
Swish!
In a flash, the sword shot through the tiger's body, skewering it from behind and exiting through its open maw.
Thud!
The beast collapsed to the ground, twitching for a moment before going still.
[Killed fourth-stage beast. Evolution points gained: 400 points.]
"That was fast," Ye Fan mused. The speed of his sword strikes had become significantly faster, even surprising him.
"If I had full control all the time, taking down fifth or even sixth-stage enemies would be easy," Ye Fan thought with a hint of smugness. "But with my current energy levels, it won't last long."
Letting out a sigh, Ye Fan plunged the sword into the beast's body, draining its blood.
[Absorbed fourth-stage beast blood. Evolution points gained: 0.4 points.]
[Absorbed fourth-stage beast blood. Evolution points gained: 0.4 points.]
...
As the system notifications continued to appear, Ye Fan felt a small surge of satisfaction.
"For now, I'll wait until you wake up," Ye Fan muttered, gazing at the unconscious Lin San.
It wasn't long before Lin San began to stir.
Gasp! Cough, cough.
Lin San groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. The first thing he noticed was the massive corpse of the Berserk Tiger lying nearby.
"A Berserk Tiger… a fourth-stage beast?" Lin San's eyes widened in shock.
The beast was dead, its body limp.
"It looks like it was killed by a sword…" he murmured, glancing down at the Demon-Slaying Sword resting beside him.
"Could it be… that the sword did this?" Lin San's astonishment quickly turned to relief. The sword was still with him.
"Did you kill it? Thank you," Lin San said sincerely, his grip on the sword tightening.
Without wasting any more time, Lin San quickly carved open the beast, retrieving a fourth-stage beast core. After pocketing the core, he moved swiftly, knowing Ren Xing would likely come searching for him.