Chapter 133: The Exiled Land (Beginning)

When Chen Jinkai opened his eyes, he was greeted by an all-consuming darkness.

His body felt heavy, his head dizzy, and most prominently, his stomach rumbled with hunger.

For a moment, he was utterly disoriented.

He had no idea where he was or how he'd ended up here.

Until something dark and shapeless suddenly pushed its way into his peripheral vision.

Instantly on guard, he asked, "What is that?"

To his astonishment, he realized his voice seemed to carry no sound.

Looking down, he found himself transformed into a formless, black mass as well?

What was happening? Had he re-entered the world of Evolution Theory? Or had he been devoured by yet another bizarre Devourer?

As Chen Shijin pondered, the chaotic entity beside him nudged him again.

And then, he actually heard its "voice."

Hungry!

Food!

Suddenly, Chen Shijin felt hungry too.

Indeed, no matter where he was or what form he took, his first priority was to stay alive and maintain the energy to explore his surroundings.

That meant he needed to eat first.

So, where could he find food around here?

In response, Chen Shijin instinctively bumped into the black blob beside him and began to steer his irregular shape forward.

With this intention, it seemed as though his amorphous form had grown two additional legs.

As the black blob rolled beside him, it suddenly grew two legs after a while, following his movements.

However, after taking a few wobbly steps with its newfound limbs, the blob seemed to realize their instability. It paused, then grew two more legs, then two more, and yet again, two more...

Chen Shijin: "...."

I asked you to imitate, not to surpass me.

By the time Chen Shijin felt that he had been walking in this dark expanse for at least half an hour without any progress, the black blob beside him had grown hundreds of legs like a centipede, only to gradually decrease in number until it settled on the most stable and comfortable number: four.

With these four legs, the blob moved far more steadily and swiftly than Chen Shijin's two-legged human form.

Watching the black blob sway before him with its four sticks, Chen Shijin's lips twitched. He couldn't shake off the frustrating feeling that the creature was gloating and showing off.

"Scoff. So what if you have legs? If you're so capable, why don't you grow a face?"

The words remained unspoken, but the black blob seemed to hear them, though it couldn't comprehend the concept of a "face." After all, Chen Shijin currently appeared to be just a mass of black energy... or perhaps a slime?

Chen Jin wished he could massage his furrowed brow, but alas, he no longer had fingers; all he could manage were two arm stumps extending from his body.

However, that was not the crux of the matter.

What mattered was that he was feeling increasingly hungry.

And with this hunger came irritation and a growing urge to rage.

The pitch-black void, devoid of anything, now seemed even more displeasing to his eyes due to his hunger.

Why is there no food here?

No light, no flowers or trees?

Not even the slightest sound can be heard.

Truly, this is an unpleasant place.

The more Chen Jin observed, the angrier and more frustrated he became.

When he felt that his emotions were about to spiral out of control and he was on the verge of roaring in anger, a figure reacted even more swiftly, erupting in rage and destruction.

The black mass with four legs began to contort irregularly, roaring at everything around it.

It transformed into bizarre shapes, tumbling and bouncing, appearing both frenzied and absurd.

It even spontaneously developed a mouth and sharp teeth during its transformations, but — what use were they?

All it could bite was the boundless darkness.

There was no food.

Watching it go mad, Chen Shijin found himself unable to join in the frenzy.

Despite being equally hungry and irritated, he was, after all, a bit smarter than the black mass.

Chen Shijin lay flat on his back.

Sigh.

First, he lay flat to conserve his energy.

Then, he tried to exert mental effort.

After all, it seemed like... there was no concept of time here.

For an indeterminate amount of time, Chen Shi Jin lay there when a twisting, shape-shifting black mass suddenly appeared beside him.

Apparently, the fool had grown weary from its roaring or finally realized that biting thin air was futile. It had also lain down.

However, despite their shared repose, hunger persisted.

In his daze, Chen Shi Jin could almost hear the growing, ravenous roars of his empty stomach.

Chen Shi Jin: "............"

Could this world be trying to starve him to death?

As he lay there, Chen Shi Jin couldn't resist rubbing his belly.

Despite his current form... a slime? He still accurately located his stomach.

Then, he was poked.

Poke.

Zhen Shi Jin: ...

Poke poke.

Zhen Shi Jin: ...

He shifted slightly to the side.

Poke poke poke poke!

Zhen Shi Jin kicked out, "Enough already, what are you poking for!"

In response, his hand was ensnared and rubbed against the dark mass beside him.

Chen Shijin, with his seemingly dulled mind, pondered and found the answer —

Oh, could it be that this fellow thinks rubbing its belly would ease its hunger?

Indeed, how foolish.

Yet, Chen Shijin couldn't help but feel... a hint of sympathy. He still reached out to rub the black ball.

He said, " Fool, rubbing your belly won't fill you up. There's nothing edible here, you know."

Despite this, the ball seemed to thoroughly enjoy Chen Shijin's ministrations for quite a while.

Long enough for it to finally realize that belly-rubbing did nothing to alleviate its hunger.

Long enough for the sensation of hunger to drive it to once again frenziedly gnaw and reshape the darkness around them.

Chen Shijin remained passive throughout.

It seemed the world was bent on starving him, but with the energy coursing through him now, starvation posed quite a challenge.

He decided to rest a while longer and attempt some speech later.

Yet, he couldn't remain still for long.

For he sensed the atmosphere around him growing increasingly oppressive.

How to describe that aura?

It was an overwhelming sense of "evil."

All manner of malevolent emotions.

Envy, greed, hatred, anger, cowardice, madness.

The darkness appeared to thicken, and even the wind carried malice.

But, there was wind?

Chen Shijin restrained himself from being tainted by the malevolence while sensing the chaotic winds.

Then, he "heard" an excited howl.

"Ao! Eat!"

Eat?

The black, contorted mass rolled out, biting at the "malevolent wind" with its mouth.

It was devouring this substance that couldn't be considered food, something filled with countless "evils."

Chen Shijin furrowed his brow.

As the mass ran before him, its shapeless mouth engulfed a cluster of "wind," then spat the "malevolent wind" right in front of him.

"Ao! Eat!"

How could this thing be eaten?

It wasn't food at all.

As it was spat out from the black mass's mouth, it dissipated immediately. The black mass was taken aback for a moment before it promptly turned around to tumultuously roll, bite, and tear apart another gust of wind, wrapping it up.

This time, it seemed much more cautious as it spat out the "food."

It even used its simulated forelimbs to gesture for Chen Shijin to eat quickly.

Strangely, Chen Shijin found the situation amusing yet also somewhat sorrowful.

Alright, alright.

He extended his stick-like hand to touch the "malevolent wind."

Then, he sensed a slight influx of "energy" entering his body.

That energy slightly alleviated his hunger.

It instantly stirred a furious rage within him.

Ah...

What damned, desperate remedy is this?

What kind of cursed place is this?

"Ao! Eat!"

The black blob, seeing Chen Shijin also consuming the malevolent winds and gaining energy, rolled around on the ground in delight, its shape distorting wildly.

It started to frenzily howl and gnash at the malevolent winds, either devouring them or dragging them for Chen Shijin to consume.

However, as it ate, it would occasionally exhibit additional, unexpected states.

It might suddenly burst into an explosive rage like a ball, roll crazily around the ground, or wail in agony.

These were the effects of the negative energy carried by the malevolent winds, impacting and corroding it. Yet, driven by the will to survive, it continued to devour everything frenziedly.

Amidst the chaotic tangle of distorted shapes that had carelessly embraced the vortex of malevolence countless times, Chen Shijin gazed at that familiar, yet pleadingly affectionate black mass. A sudden pang of sorrow welled up in his eyes, and he realized where he was —

This was Le Feng's hometown.

That place forsaken by the gods.

And before him now, this disheveled creature howling with hunger, subsisting on mere whispers of air, was the untold past that Le Feng could never voice.

"I'll show you where I come from."

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