[You have become one with the poison]

[You have gained the skill: <Immunity to Ten Poisons>]

Chun Ma was submerged in the river when a strange energy surged into his body, wracking every fiber of his being and forcing a roar of pain from his throat.

It was the familiar energy of poison, only this time, it was stronger, denser, and far beyond anything he could possibly withstand.

"What is the meaning of your existence?"

"Isn't it easier to just give up and die?"

"Death is heaven itself—no worries, no thoughts, everything becomes null."

"You will reach true nirvana, a state even the Buddha himself could not attain, the nihilism that is rightfully yours…"

Thousands of thoughts flooded his mind, but Chun Ma simply shook his head with a strange frown.

'Oh well, since I've been thrown into the Poison River, I might as well take full advantage of it.'

With that thought, Chun Ma closed his eyes, his mind peaceful and calm, and began trying to merge with the poison.

It felt like the poison was a strange entity of its own. If you resisted it, it would hurt you—but if you embraced it, it would welcome you.

Like that dreaded character: a tsundere.

Anyway, as Chun Ma continued his baptism in the poison, he drifted along the river, gradually sinking deeper into its layers, accompanied by countless other bodies, though all of them were now motionless, utterly breathless before they were even thrown here.

After an unknown amount of time, a prompt appeared before him.

[You have become one with the nether poison]

[You have gained the skill: <Immunity to Hundred Poisons>]

[The lower-tier skill has been absorbed by <Immunity to Hundred Poisons>]

[Evolution Successful!]

[You have gained the skill: <Immunity to Thousand Poisons>]

"Hmm?" Chun Ma immediately felt the changes in his body. The poisonous river no longer harmed him, instead, it felt like the warm embrace of a lover.

"What utter bullshit," he muttered, completely expressionless.

[You have resisted the deadly thoughts of the Nether Poison River]

[You have gained an exclusive skill: <Cold-Blooded>]

—

<Cold-Blooded>

You are no longer constrained by your emotions in doing anything.

—

"Exclusive?" Chun Ma muttered with a thoughtful gaze. "Hmm, this seems like an interesting skill, but I have already gotten two exclusives already. One is the <<Invader>> title, and the other skill is this Cold-Blooded."

He was definitely thoughtful for a moment. This Title seemed to be exclusively only for him.

While he was thinking, Chun Ma had already found that he was very close to reaching the shore, the end of the river.

…

"Hey, don't sleep on the job!" one soldier shouted at another.

"Just let me sleep. What's there to see? They were already dead before, there's no miracle, only our founder could do such a thing," the other soldier replied, eyes heavy with sleep. "Heck, I don't even believe that—"

"What? What don't you believe, bastard!?"

"Nothing, nothing." The sleepy soldier quickly shook his head, yawning as he began checking the bodies.

The stench of rotting, poisoned corpses was overwhelming, but neither soldier flinched, they had long since grown numb to the gruesome scene.

As the sleepy soldier made his way to one side, he reached down to drag a body by the leg, only to freeze when he looked to the side.

Gleaming blue pupils stared back at him, blinking.

"Eh!?" His face turned pale. Legs trembling, he stumbled back in horror and cried out, "M-Monster!"

"What happened?" the other soldier called out, rushing over.

There, he saw a child slowly standing up, his long golden hair fluttering gently, and his blue eyes flickering like the vast ocean: boundless and serene.

The soldier dropped to his knees in disbelief, gasping for breath until it felt like his lungs would give out.

"Did you really survive the river, chi… master?"

"Yes," Chun Ma replied casually.

The guard turned on his heel and ran. "Stay here, I'll call the higher-ups!"

Chun Ma glanced at the fallen soldier, who was still trembling all over, eyes wide with shock.

'You're a martial artist too. Do I really look like a ghost that you'd cower the moment you see me?'

Either way, he simply stood there, unmoving, until hurried, echoing footsteps approached from outside.

The first to enter was the white devil-masked man, followed by the red devil-masked man, and finally the old woman, the same one who had seen him when he first arrived.

"Are you really that child?" The old woman and the white devil both shouted at once, disbelief heavy in their voices. The red devil, meanwhile, just looked on, confused.

"Yes," Chun Ma answered emotionlessly.

The two exchanged glances, and their expressions immediately shifted.

"Haha, child," the old woman said warmly as she approached him, her hands gently dusting off the dirt from his sleeves. "You must have suffered a lot, but this is necessary for you to reach your full potential. I can already see great potential in you."

"That's right," the white devil added, nodding in agreement. He drew out a new saber, its pointed edge ever so slightly slanted, and held it out to Chun Ma.

"This saber should suit you well. It was crafted by one of the ten blacksmiths of the Demonic Cult."

Chun Ma took the saber gripping it firmly. After a brief pause, he asked, "Can I take the Gate Trials again?"

"Of course, you can," the old woman said, smiling kindly. "If you complete this trial and become the first, I'll personally request a generous reward from the Demonic Cult Leader."

"Lead the way." Chun Ma's gaze shifted to the White Devil.

"Yes." The White Devil nodded quickly, his steps just slightly behind Chun Ma's as he led the way.

Life truly plays out in mysterious ways. Just a moment ago, he had been held hostage and dragged here, but now they treated him with such respect.

No matter who you are or where you come from, it's talent, hard work, and a sharp mind that defines your existence and what you truly are worth!