From Sword to Slaughter: Evolution

By six o'clock in the evening, Lin Luoluo had already arrived at a large building according to the information on the card.

The building seemed to have some years on it, and now it looked a bit worn and dilapidated.

At this time of day, the sky in Thunder Panther City had already darkened. The surrounding walls of the courtyard were lit by numerous torches.

In the spacious courtyard, quite a few martial artists had already gathered.

"Oh? Another one?"

As Lin Luoluo stepped inside, the eyes of those who had arrived earlier turned towards her.

Lin Luoluo, still dressed in white, wore her paper mask, which gave her a somewhat strange appearance. In her left hand, she held the sword sheath. With the sword "Soul Severing" sealed inside, its terrifying killing intent couldn't be sensed by others, though her presence still seemed somewhat eerie.

"Wait over there."

The martial artist from the center who had handed out the card saw Lin Luoluo and immediately instructed her.

Lin Luoluo nodded slightly and stood to the side. Beneath her mask, her eyes surveyed the others. They were quite strong, all at least eighth-rank martial artists.

"Looks pretty young," remarked a tall martial artist, his gaze fixed on Lin Luoluo as he laughed.

Lin Luoluo glanced at him but didn't respond.

"She's wearing a mask; how can you tell she's young?" another martial artist standing next to him laughed.

"By looking at her hair," the tall martial artist replied confidently. "I've experienced plenty of women; I can tell their age just by their hair. She's definitely a young girl."

He continued, "Why don't you take off your mask and let me have a look?"

The tall man approached Lin Luoluo and reached out to grab her mask.

"Do you want to die?"

A cold, ethereal voice came from Lin Luoluo.

"Oh? Throwing a tantrum, are we?" The tall man sneered. "I'm going to take off your mask—what are you going to do about it?"

Before he could finish his sentence, he reached for Lin Luoluo's mask.

Lin Luoluo's eyes narrowed, and in an instant, she drew her sword.

Swish—

The man saw a flash of the blade, and then a sharp pain erupted from his right thumb. Blood spurted out instantly.

"Ah!!!" he screamed in agony.

His thumb had been severed in a flash.

Lin Luoluo sheathed her sword as quickly as she had drawn it. The entire action took less than a second.

The surrounding martial artists couldn't quite grasp how Lin Luoluo had done it.

"Did she just... draw her sword?" the man who had spoken to the tall martial artist earlier shuddered.

"This is just a warning," Lin Luoluo said calmly.

The tall man, eyes wide with terror, gritted his teeth against the pain, picked up his severed thumb, and fled. Fortunately for him, it was still possible to reattach it.

It was clear that Lin Luoluo had held back. If she had intended to kill him, his head would have already been rolling on the ground.

"Everyone here is a martial artist drawn to the secret realm," said the card-distributing martial artist as he regained his composure. "Don't force others to reveal their personal information."

Even he had been shocked by the scene just now. Lin Luoluo's strength was clearly formidable—she had given a clear message to deter anyone from messing with her.

Time passed quickly, and about thirty martial artists had gathered in total. All of them were at least eighth-rank.

Lin Luoluo was slightly surprised by this—Thunder Panther City truly lived up to its reputation as a major city, with so many high-ranking martial artists.

Creak—

At this moment, the large doors of the building opened, and a tall figure slowly walked out.

"Looks like everyone's here," said a middle-aged man with a long beard, dressed in thick, worn armor.

"So, the organizer was here the whole time?" whispered some of the surrounding martial artists.

"Master..." Lin Luoluo's gaze fell on the man, sensing a strong aura radiating from him. Although he was suppressing it, Lin Luoluo's keen senses picked it up immediately.

"Over thirty people?" the middle-aged man glanced around with a slight smile. "Quite a crowd."

He introduced himself, "I'm Shang Pei, a Martial Master."

A Martial Master. Although they had known the organizer was a Martial Master, hearing it from him stirred a bit of excitement in the crowd. A Martial Master was a rank far beyond the ninth level of a regular martial artist.

"I know exactly when and where the White Dragon Mountain secret realm will appear," Shang Pei continued, his gaze sweeping over the group. "But before we head there, I want to make something clear."

"In the secret realm, most of what you find will belong to you. However, a small portion must be handed over to me."

The crowd remained silent. Since Shang Pei was leading them to the secret realm, it was only natural that they had to pay a price.

"Any Saint-level martial techniques and high-grade spirit herbs, as well as inheritances, will be mine. The rest of the treasures, whoever finds them, keeps them," Shang Pei declared.

"Any objections?" he asked, his eyes scanning the group.

"No objections," everyone shook their heads, though some had their own plans. If they did find an inheritance or a Saint-level technique, they might try to keep it for themselves and flee.

"I know what you're thinking," Shang Pei said coldly. "If I catch anyone trying to take something they shouldn't, there will be no mercy."

His words carried a murderous intent that sent chills down the spines of the gathered martial artists. This kind of killing intent could only come from someone who had taken many lives.

"Alright, we've met today. Gather here again the day after tomorrow at eight in the morning," Shang Pei instructed before turning and walking back into the building. The doors closed behind him.

"Everyone, make sure you're well-prepared for the journey into the secret realm," one of Shang Pei's subordinates advised. "It's not going to be easy. Bring enough food, water, and consumables."