When Lin Mo's feet stepped out of the silent corridor's end, the sight before him caused his pupils to contract sharply.
This was a massive circular stone cave, resembling a hollowed-out mountain belly. In the center of the cave was a huge pool, over fifty meters in diameter, churning with heart-stopping liquid.
That was not water.
Ink green, purplish-black, dark red, ghastly white... countless strange colors interwove and churned in the pool, like a palette in purgatory. Fist-sized bubbles rose from the bottom of the pool, bursting with a 'gurgle,' and the pale yellow mist they released actually corroded the stalactites hanging above, making a 'sizzle' sound and dripping viscous liquid.
The air was filled with an indescribable sweet, fishy odor. Just taking one breath, Lin Mo felt a burning pain in his throat.
[System Notification: You have entered the high-concentration Deadly Poison area, 'Pool of Ten Thousand Poisons.' You will take 1000 points of mixed toxin damage per second, along with multiple negative effects such as 'Corrosion,' 'Paralysis,' 'Blindness,' and 'Chaos.']
[Warning: Your level is too low. The assessed mortality rate for entering this area is 100%. Please exit immediately!]
A series of blood-red warnings flashed frantically across his retina, like a death warrant from the Grim Reaper.
1000 points of damage per second!
Lin Mo's eyelid twitched. With his current total Life value of less than 800 points, this meant that if he stepped into the pool, he would be instantly melted into a pile of white bones in less than a second.
This was not a trial at all; it was a guaranteed death trap!
"The second trial, the 'Pool of Ten Thousand Poisons.'"
The old, hoarse voice echoed again from all directions, carrying a hint of mockery.
"Believers of the Thorn of Shadow must not only walk with shadows but also coexist with poison. This pool gathers the thirty-six most famous rare poisons and one hundred and eight potent poisons on the continent. Your mission is simple—survive in the pool for ten minutes."
"Give up, or begin?"
Lin Mo took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart. He did not turn back, his gaze fixed on the churning poison pool as his mind raced.
Give up? Those two words had never appeared in his dictionary. Since it was a trial, there must be a chance of survival.
His trump card was the seemingly unremarkable bronze ring on his left middle finger—the [toad's protection].
[Immunity to toxin damage below Level 10], [Absorbs toxins and converts them into experience].
This was his core reliance from Novice Village until now. However, the poisons in this 'Pool of Ten Thousand Poisons' clearly exceeded the scope of "Level 10." To what extent would the ring's effect be weakened?
Lin Mo did not step in rashly. He walked to the edge of the pool, crouched down, and cautiously extended his right index finger, lightly touching a puddle of slightly lighter, ink-green liquid near the edge.
"Sizzle—"
-285!
A fierce stinging pain came from his fingertip, as if it had been branded by a red-hot iron. A crimson damage number popped up above his head, and simultaneously, a series of negative status icons lit up.
[System Notification: You have been eroded by 'Black Swamp Water,' entering the 'Minor Corrosion' state, reducing Defense by 5%.]
[System Notification: You have been affected by 'Petrification Lizard Saliva,' entering the 'Slowness' state, reducing Movement Speed by 10%.]
Merely touching the outermost layer of the poison caused nearly three hundred points of damage and two negative statuses!
Lin Mo's heart sank, but immediately afterward, he noticed a crucial detail.
[System Notification: Your equipment 'toad's protection' has taken effect, granting you an 85% exemption from toxin damage.]
An 85% exemption!
A sharp light instantly burst forth in Lin Mo's eyes. This meant that without the ring, the damage from that single touch would have been a staggering 1900 points! Enough to kill him twice over!
Although he could not achieve complete immunity, this exemption effect was his path to Life!
"Very good."
Lin Mo muttered, no longer hesitating. He stood up, adjusted his breathing, and his gaze became incredibly resolute. Then, under the slightly astonished watch of the old voice, he took a step and entered the Pool of Ten Thousand Poisons.
"Puff..."
It felt as if he had stepped not into liquid, but into scalding sulfuric acid. Intense pain instantly spread from his feet throughout his body. Countless distinct toxin energies, like thousands of hungry poisonous insects, frantically burrowed into his body through his pores.
-150! -148! -152!
A rapid sequence of damage numbers popped up densely above his head. His Life value plummeted at a visible speed, dropping below the one-third danger line in barely two seconds.
"As expected, the mixed toxins deal higher damage!"
Lin Mo endured the intense pain and immediately pulled out a pre-prepared Intermediate Life Potion from his backpack and chugged it down.
+200!
His Life value recovered slightly but was still dropping rapidly. He dared not slacken, consuming potions while carefully sensing the changes in his body and the flow of the surrounding poison.
He realized that the poison pool was not uniform.
The various colors in the pool were distinct. Although they were constantly merging, the types of toxins in the main areas were relatively fixed. The area under his feet was predominantly ink-green, with damage stabilizing around 150 points per second, applying Corrosion and Slowness effects.
Meanwhile, the area nearby, churning with purplish-black bubbles, made his heart palpitate just by getting close, clearly indicating a fiercer toxicity.
"I cannot just sit here and wait for death!"
Lin Mo knew clearly that relying solely on potions to endure for ten minutes would deplete all his supplies. He had to find a way to break the situation.
His gaze rapidly scanned the pool, his mind analyzing everything like the most precise computer.
This place was a massive sample library of toxins!
For others, this was hell. But for him, who possessed the [Endless Poison Source] talent, this place... might be heaven!
A crazy idea sprouted in his mind.
Not only did he have to survive here, but he also had to... treat this place like a buffet!
Having made his decision, Lin Mo no longer stood passively but actively moved in one direction. He did not choose the area that looked the least toxic; instead, he walked toward a dark red patch of water.
The moment he stepped into this area, a scorching sensation came from his skin.
-180!
The damage was higher! Furthermore, a new negative status appeared.
[System Notification: You have been eroded by 'Molten Lizard Blood,' entering the 'Burning' state, losing 20 points of Life per second.]
But at the same time, another system notification lifted Lin Mo's spirits.
[System Notification: You have come into contact with High-Tier Fire Poison. 'Toxin Affinity' gain speed increased by 50%!]
"This is it!"
A trace of fanaticism flashed in Lin Mo's eyes. Mere survival was not his style; he wanted to extract the maximum benefit from this desperate situation!
He began to move slowly through the pool, like a discerning gourmet, sampling every "dish."
From the ink-green poison water that applied "Slowness," to the dark red poison liquid that applied "Burning"; from the ghastly white poison mist that caused "Chaos," to the purplish-black poison pool that caused him to enter "Paralysis."
Every time he stepped into a new poison zone, his Life value experienced a terrifying drop, only to be firmly pulled back up by his precise calculations and potions.
His actions were simply unbelievable to the trial instructor observing in the shadows.
"This little fellow... what is he doing? Is he looking for death?" The old voice was full of confusion.
In his long Life, he had seen countless geniuses challenge the trial, but every single one of them cautiously searched for the "path of Life" with the weakest poison in the pool, enduring ten minutes of agonizing torment.
This was the first time he had seen a lunatic like Lin Mo, who actively embraced the most deadly Deadly Poison.
Time passed minute by minute.
Five minutes later, Lin Mo had a clear understanding of the characteristics of the toxins in most areas of the pool. He had used nearly half of his potions, but his gains were unimaginable to outsiders.
His "Toxin Affinity" was skyrocketing at an unprecedented speed!
More importantly, he discovered an astonishing pattern.
When he was simultaneously at the junction of the dark red "Fire Poison" area and a deep blue "Ice Poison" area, the effects of the two toxins actually partially canceled each other out! The damage, originally nearly 200 per second, plummeted to around 120!
"So that's it... The so-called ten thousand poisons are not simply superimposed; they also contain mutual generation and mutual restraint!"
A confident smile curled at the corner of Lin Mo's mouth.
He was no longer a passive recipient but had become a chess player. The entire Pool of Ten Thousand Poisons had become his chessboard!
He began to use the counteracting relationships between the toxins, repeatedly moving across the boundaries of different poison zones, like dancing on a knife's edge. He could always find a subtle balance point, allowing multiple toxins to neutralize each other, reducing the damage he received to the minimum.
The rate at which his Life value dropped gradually decreased from 150 points per second to 100 points, then 80 points, and was even momentarily controlled by him to below 50 points!
The rate of potion consumption slowed significantly, yet his "Toxin Affinity" continued to rise rapidly!
"A monster... truly a monster!"
The voice in the shadows could no longer remain calm, filled with shock.
This level of understanding and control over toxins already exceeded the scope of "genius"; it was more like an innate instinct!
Eighth minute.
A faint gray halo had already appeared on Lin Mo's body surface, an external manifestation of his "Toxin Affinity" reaching a certain high level.
[System Notification: Your 'Toxin Affinity' has reached the critical point!]
[System Notification: Your God-tier talent 'Endless Poison Source' is absorbing a large amount of heterogeneous high-grade toxins and is beginning an unknown evolution...]
It's here!
Lin Mo was ecstatic. This was the moment he had been waiting for!
He made an even crazier move. He was no longer satisfied with testing the edges but cast his gaze toward the very center of the poison pool, the deepest, most terrifying purplish-black core area!
That place was the source of all the toxins, and the most lethal spot!
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained!"
Lin Mo roared, chugged the last Intermediate Life Potion, and resolutely swam toward the center.
-300! -320! -350!
The closer he got to the center, the more terrifying the damage numbers became. His Life value bottomed out instantly, and his near-death state was heart-stopping.
But he did not stop!
Just at the last moment before he was about to be devoured by the toxins, a majestic surge of energy suddenly erupted from his talent mark!
[System Notification: Talent evolution successful!]
[Your God-tier talent 'Endless Poison Source' has unlocked a new characteristic—Poison Burst!]
[Poison Burst: Active Skill. You can instantly detonate all stacked toxin layers on a target. Each layer of toxin will deal (10 + Intelligence * 0.5) burst damage. After detonation, all toxin effects disappear. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]
Boom!
An invisible gray energy wave suddenly spread outwards, centered on Lin Mo. The Pool of Ten Thousand Poisons around him seemed to have been hit by a depth charge, stirring up monstrous waves!
The Deadly Poison that had been eroding him seemed to have met its sovereign at this moment, retreating one after another!
The damage numbers above Lin Mo's head instantly cleared!
Not only did he not die, but due to the talent's evolution, he temporarily gained a brief "immunity to all poisons" vacuum zone!
The ten-minute trial time quietly ended at this moment.
Lin Mo slowly stood up from the center of the poison pool. The water reached his waist, but it could no longer cause him the slightest harm. He felt the brand new power surging within him—a powerful control that could turn all Deadly Poison into the most brilliant fireworks in his hands!
He had not only passed the trial.
He had also turned this trial into his own... gluttonous feast!
As he walked out of the pool step by step, the poisonous mist within the entire stone cave seemed to dim slightly.
A shadow, dark as ink, appeared silently across from him. Within the shadow, a pair of eyes glowing faintly stared intensely at him. That gaze no longer held the previous mockery and surprise, but rather unbelievable shock, and a hint of... deep greed.
"You... you weren't accepting the inheritance."
The hoarse voice trembled slightly, "You were... devouring the Sacred Pool!"