When Chen Mo awoke from his stupor, he sat up, sensing something foreign within his body. His stomach pulsed like a heart, causing his very cells to shift, and he groaned in agony.
"Argghh! Ughhh!"
"This pain is like my blood vessels are about to burst, and I will savor it," he spoke with a voice laced with grim hope, as if his experiment was succeeding.
After the excruciating pain subsided, Chen Mo's severed right arm began to slowly grow flesh, reforming into a hand as before, but now it was covered in scales like the snake he had just killed.
"Crack! Crack!"
The sound of growing bones began. "Ahhh, it seems my experiment succeeded. Though it's not back to normal, this is more fascinating than I thought," Chen Mo muttered.
The cold night, illuminated by the bright moonlight, found Chen Mo standing beneath its glow, looking up.
"God, aren't you afraid that I will grow strong over time and kill you?" he thought, with a vicious and cruel sneer, as if he was utterly convinced of his own inevitable victory.
Chen Mo felt the heartbeat in his stomach. He sat under the moonlight and attempted to meditate.
Chen Mo sensed an incredibly foreign energy, one he had never encountered anywhere on Earth. The energy was like a transparent mist.
Chen Mo tried to absorb this foreign energy, called Qi. The Qi began to slowly permeate from his stomach, causing an incredibly brutal pulsation. Chen Mo vomited copious amounts of blood from his ears, nose, and even both eyes.
"Uhughh! Huarghh!"
Did I use the wrong method? What is cultivation? How is it different from meditation? Many questions swirled in Chen Mo's head.
He had no time for remorse or reflection. For Chen Mo, there was no such word as 'failure' in his lexicon; only 'not yet successful' or 'not yet perfect.' If not today, then perhaps tomorrow or the day after. It was merely a phase in his lengthy experiment.
With his trembling yet nimble left hand, he wiped the dried blood from his face and cleaned the fresh blood still flowing from his nose, ears, and eyes. His body felt weak, but his mind remained sharp, burning with new questions and grim determination.
Chen Mo ceased his meditation and walked towards the riverbank to cleanse the stains from his entire body.
After cleaning himself as best he could, Chen Mo directed his gaze towards the large tree in the middle of the great river. He swam for an hour and finally reached the canopy of the massive tree, dimly lit by the moonlight.
Chen Mo saw the fruit, a single one, directly beneath him. It was purplish-blue.
After seeing the fruit, Chen Mo thought: This tree is incredibly tall. I can't climb it. My right hand isn't fully healed yet. This tree is about 5 meters high. If I throw my sword, it probably won't hit the fruit.
Chen Mo turned around, thinking as he looked at the carcass of the three-headed beast-snake across the river.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice emanated from the tree, questioning Chen Mo, "I have never seen a human like you. I have witnessed everything you've done. If you desire this fruit, then make a contract with me, how about it?"
Chen Mo's sneer widened. What he had thought from the beginning was true: where there's honey, there are bees. The bees wouldn't be alone, and they have a queen.
He did not turn his body, and he spoke, still gazing at the beast-snake's carcass, "Hmm, the more beautiful the rose, the more thorns it has. What do you mean by contract? Is it slavery?"
The tree manifested itself into a spirit, a dense green, smoke-like entity.
"Haha, you are very amusing, but I like it. The contract might be similar to what you said, but I will become your slave, how about that?" This spirit enthusiastically tried to convince Chen Mo.
Due to its lack of information, this spirit looked down on Chen Mo, underestimating him. In reality, it intended to transfer its soul into Chen Mo's body; the word "contract" was a euphemism for transference, a malicious hidden agenda from this tree spirit.
"My name is Yan Jing," the spirit introduced itself. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I have waited 500 years for a unique being like you. I wish to follow you. How about the contract I mentioned, do you agree?"
Chen Mo replied, "Alright, let's see..."
In Chen Mo's mind: Let's see who dominates, hahaha.
Chen Mo continued speaking, "How do I make a contract? Is it by writing a name or a symbol on someone?"
His tone was utterly naive, feigning ignorance.
The spirit was startled by his answer and thought: Is this human freshly born? Why doesn't he know about contracts? This is gold! I will manipulate him and take over his body, kikiki.
The spirit continued speaking, "Turn around, and I will tell you how to make the contract. Sit down and close your eyes. I will press my forehead to yours, and this will bind our souls, connecting us to each other." Its voice was full of deceptive nonsense.
As Chen Mo, who had performed all sorts of manipulations on Earth, he had known the vile intentions of this wretched spirit from the very beginning.
Chen Mo replied, "Yes, I will do as you instruct. Please proceed." Chen Mo obeyed the spirit without a second thought. Chen Mo's self-belief was immense.
Chen Mo sat down and closed his eyes. The spirit immediately took action and pressed its forehead to his. As it tried to take over Chen Mo's body, it encountered a profound, chilling darkness.
The spirit saw souls scattered everywhere. When the spirit's soul was inside, it was merely dust before Chen Mo's soul, which looked upon it as if it were filth.
The spirit recoiled from Chen Mo's body. It gasped, writhing on the ground. It felt an overwhelming terror, like a worm doused in salt.
"Aaaaaakakahhh!! Uhh uhhh!"
Chen Mo remained with his eyes closed as if nothing had happened, and asked it, "Why are you writhing? Is something wrong?!" His tone, initially feigning innocence, turned into a vicious sneer as he watched the spirit writhe.
The spirit replied with overwhelming terror, "W-w-who are you? Why is there a being like you here? What is your purpose?"
"My purpose? Hmm, perhaps to kill you, hahaaaa."
Chen Mo walked and took action. He choked Yan Jing's neck and lifted him.
"Uaaghhh!"
"S-stop! I beg you, don't kill me! I... I want to live longer!" Yan Jing's voice was choked.
Chen Mo brought his head closer and whispered, "Where is the fruit? Give it to me and tell me about it, then I won't kill you."
Yan Jing spontaneously made the fruit appear in his hand, as if teleporting an item.
Chen Mo observed and thought: Is its power to move things at a certain distance? He didn't release his chokehold on Yan Jing.
"This is the fruit, and I will explain. This is the Vitality Fruit, as its name suggests. This fruit will restore the body's vitality and Qi, and help absorb Qi within a Dantian or beast core. This fruit only ripens once every 100 years. Five beings have obtained it—cultivators and beasts alike. Those five include you." Yan Jing spoke with immense fear, his voice strained.
"Alright," Chen Mo replied, and took the fruit from Yan Jing's hands.
After taking the fruit with his right hand, Chen Mo began to drain Yan Jing's essence. Yan Jing screamed piercingly. Little by little, his body disappeared, and the tree withered until only a dry husk remained.
"Aahhh, this is my death! I surrender! I knew you wouldn't spare me! Farewell, monster!"
"The fires of destruction will consume you! You'll never find peace! I curse you... curse your soul to the deepest pits of hell!" Yan Jing vanished completely.
Chen Mo merely watched without remorse. He took the fruit and turned, stating, "A genuine life holds no fear of death, and a genuine death knows no fear of pain."
Chen Mo walked and crossed the river. Once on the other side, he turned back to see the tree slowly disappearing.
Chen Mo shifted his gaze to the moonlight. He thought: This fruit is incredibly useful, hihihi. Wait for me, Mei, it's time to train tomorrow morning, hihihi.
With a vicious sneer and an insane cackle, Chen Mo walked eastward, towards Mei's location, radiating an incredibly oppressive aura. He smiled like a madman.