Chapter 296 - Digesting the Huge Arm

Han Wu crouched in the shadowed hollow of a valley, his gaze fixed on the 100-meter-long arm before him. The limb sprawled across the ground like a fallen pillar, and hauling it here had nearly drained him of every ounce of strength. He could not drag it another step.

Xun scoffed from Han Wu’s shadow. “Such misfortune.”

Han Wu shot him a sharp glare. Xun flinched and hurried to clarify, “Master, I’m not talking about you. I mean the Abomination. It’s such a misfortune to run into that bastard.

“Master, that bastard has an extremely keen nose. It will soon detect its arm. You need to dispose of it before that happens.”

Han Wu’s frown deepened. The arm stretched like a massive pillar, a hundred meters of sheer bulk. How could he possibly get rid of it? There was no time to dig a pit, and doing so would waste too many resources.

He considered using the Dark Locust Stomach to digest it, but the thought of the filth and blood eating through his own stomach chilled him. That would be the worst-case scenario.

“Master, honestly, the arm might be useful to me,” Xun said, his tone measured. “I have an enhanceable body part that absorbs energy from stronger life forms. I could take it in even if it’s a severed limb...”

Han Wu’s eyes narrowed. “So you want the profit without lifting a finger?”

Xun’s response was immediate. “No, Master. I only want to ease your burden. That Abomination will find us soon. If you want to escape, you’ll have to drag this arm yourself.”

In truth, Xun scolded Han Wu silently,

Damn, what misfortune. He actually saw through me. Was I acting too obvious?

Han Wu raised an eyebrow. “You do realize that you signed the Spiritual Blood Contract, giving me full control over your life, soul, and thoughts. I already know what you’re thinking.”

Xun flushed with embarrassment and decided to confess. “Master, it’s true that I want the energy in the arm, but my strength is also your strength. You will grow stronger if I grow stronger too. I thought I could take the arm from you since you can’t do anything with it.”

Han Wu chuckled. “Who said I can’t do anything about it?”

He summoned the Defiant Sword and carefully sliced a small sliver of flesh from the arm, tossing it directly into his Void Jaw. The meat disappeared into his stomach.

His Dark Locust Stomach flared with relentless activity as it digested the flesh. The Abomination’s meat pulsed with energy, and even such a small sliver took a full minute to break down.

The results exceeded his expectations. Once the flesh was fully digested, all of Han Wu’s body parts were enhanced, and even his Demon Heart stockpiled a substantial amount of Demonic Energy.

The Demon Heart had a trait called Power Well, which amplified his strength in direct proportion to the energy stored within it. With this newfound power, Han Wu could drag the arm and run farther, and if he grew weary, he could simply slice off more flesh and feed it to his stomach. The cycle was nearly perfect.

With a plan like this in mind, he shaved off another portion of the arm and tossed it into his Void Jaw.

Xun, hidden in Han Wu’s shadow, watched the arm with raw greed. The energy contained within it could benefit him greatly.

Han Wu considered Xun his subordinate, so strengthening him served his own interests. With a precise cut, he removed the pinky and tossed it to Xun. Though it was only a finger, its energy was enough to elevate a demon to Xun’s level.

Xun eagerly received it. He conjured ropes of shadow to drag the pinky into Han Wu’s shadow. Not long after, he discarded the bone, having consumed the flesh and blood.

Han Wu picked up the bone and fed it to his Void Jaw. Without flesh, his stomach digested it rapidly and channeled all residual energy into his Red Crystal Marrow, which accelerated its enhancement.

Seeing how effectively it increased his efficiency in digesting the arm, Han Wu cut off the ring finger and handed it to Xun. The latter absorbed the flesh and blood, while Han Wu devoured the finger bone to further strengthen his Crystal Marrow.

He repeated the process once more. Xun reached complete fullness, and Han Wu’s shadow swelled larger and more powerful. He felt his own strength returning, whether from the feedback of Xun growing stronger or from the trait of his Demon Heart.

Meanwhile, his Cockroach Cells absorbed the remaining energy and advanced to Stage 6. Three new options appeared for his next trait.

[Option 1: Energized Cells – Allows cells to be energized. Recovery rate doubles when energized. Becomes stronger with each stage.]

[Option 2: Independent Limb – Detached limbs can move independently for a short period and can be reattached within a limited time. Becomes stronger with each stage.]

[Option 3: Supercells – Each cell can assume the functionality of any organ. Each cell consumes ten times more energy while active. Becomes stronger with each stage.]

All three options had their merits, but Han Wu’s eyes were locked on the third. It was the only one with a drawback, and he relished the trade-off. Ten times more energy was trivial if each of his cells could replicate the functions of his other organs. He would have paid a hundred times that energy without hesitation.

Hence, he selected the third option as the second trait of his Cockroach Cells. Instantly, he felt his cells undergo a massive transformation. They surged with energy, assuming the roles of every organ in his body. Each cell could now store Demonic Energy, secrete digestive enzymes, and perform the myriad functions his body required.

Han Wu sensed his Dark Locust Stomach digesting with tenfold speed. He carved more flesh from the arm with his Defiant Sword and fed it into his Void Jaw, devouring it faster and faster until only eighty meters of arm remained.

Suddenly, the ground trembled as the Abomination thundered into the valley. Just as Xun had warned, the demon’s sharp sense of smell had led it straight to the scent of its own severed arm.

Han Wu grabbed the remaining arm, flapped his wings, and fled without a second thought. The Abomination spewed a torrent of filth into the valley, corroding the ground and filling the air with a horrid stench.

Han Wu glanced back with a shiver of fear, silently grateful for his speed. To maintain his momentum, he tore off another piece of meat and tossed it into his Void Jaw to absorb more energy.

After flying relentlessly with the arm, the Abomination eventually vanished from sight. Xun caught a glimpse of hope as he hid in Han Wu’s shadow. They could survive as long as the demon didn’t catch them.

Apart from the dangerous zones scattered across the vast training ground, they were free to move as they wished.

Xun let out a chuckle as he glanced around, but the sound died in his throat the instant he realized where they had ended up. Panic gripped him. Forgetting his place as a slave, he lashed out at Han Wu, “Misfortune! Such misfortune. Master, why did you enter this zone? This is the territory of one of the Twelve Demons!”