60: After the slaying of the god, a storm is coming!

As Lin Mo's figure vanished within the spatial teleportation light in the Wailing Plains, what he left behind for the world

—besides the bottomless "Abyss of Poison"

—was the entire online world of epoch plunged into utter frenzy.

The official forum's server, after suffering a five-minute crash, was finally rescued from the brink of paralysis by engineers performing emergency capacity expansion.

However, the server's recovery did not quell the players' fervor; instead, it was like pouring cold water into a scorching oil pan, instantly triggering an even more violent explosion!

The forum homepage was instantly flooded by thousands of posts with similar titles the moment it recovered.

The click counts and reply volumes for every single post were skyrocketing at a speed that defied conventional data science.

[Nuclear Blast! The First God of epoch is Born! Player 'Lin Mo' Solo Kills World BOSS, God Slaying and Becoming King!]

This post, rushed out by official staff before the server crash, had been automatically stickied, highlighted, and marked in red by the system, making it the sole focus of the entire epoch world at that moment.

Clicking on the post revealed the exciting combat highlight reel, automatically recorded and edited by the system.

The video began with Lin Mo's extreme maneuvering, weaving around the Demon God's body and dancing wildly on the razor's edge.

The middle section showed his invincible figure activating the [Toxic Domain], single-handedly routing hundreds of thousands of allied forces, leaving them abandoning their armor and fleeing in panic.

The climax and conclusion of the video was the world-shattering, Ten Thousand Poisons Return to One, the [Ten Thousand Poisons Return to One] that instantly annihilated the Abyssal Lord and permanently altered the terrain!

Every single frame was enough to send any player's adrenaline skyrocketing to the limit!

And the comment section below the post had long since turned into an ocean of emotion.

"I... I don't even know what to say. I've watched the video twenty times, and every time I see that final sword strike, my scalp still tingles! Is this really an operation a player can pull off? Are we sure this isn't a game CG?"

"To the poster above, I tell you as a top data analyst: this is absolutely not CG! I've analyzed it frame by frame at 0.1x speed! From the moment he started setting up, to detonating the Plague Link, and finally the Ten Thousand Poisons Return to One—every step was a work of art! He isn't playing the game; he is creating the rule!"

"Too strong! This is the ultimate dream of us solo players! Not relying on guilds, not relying on background, but using only his own skill and wisdom to trample those arrogant major guilds beneath his feet! From today on, God Lin is my faith!"

"[Technical Analysis Post] In-depth review of 'Poison God' Lin Mo's God Slaying battle! Just how many game mechanics we've never heard of did he utilize? (Long post warning)"

"[Bounty Post] Does anyone know where God Lin is now? Begging for coordinates! I am willing to offer up all my possessions, just to join God Lin's banner, even as a foot soldier!"

Amidst the countless expressions of adoration, analysis, and discussion, there were also some discordant voices, mostly coming from the guild players who had been utterly routed by Lin Mo.

"Hmph, that was just opportunistic trickery! If we hadn't whittled the BOSS's health down to the execution line, how would he have had the chance to steal the kill?"

"Exactly! What good is being strong alone? This game is ultimately about teamwork! He has now offended almost every major guild on the entire server, and I bet he won't survive three days!"

However, these sour remarks were instantly drowned in the vast ocean of the masses the moment they appeared.

"That kills me, 'you guys whittled it down'? Didn't you watch the video? God Lin was the only one dealing damage the whole time; was your output even enough to tickle the BOSS?"

"Won't survive three days? Stop joking! Do you think someone who can pull off those moves wouldn't anticipate his current predicament? He's probably having a good laugh in some corner you'll never find!"

... City of Glory, Resurrection Temple.

As streaks of white light flashed, Overlord Mad Saber, Flame Mad Lion, and a host of other guild leaders appeared at the resurrection point, their faces ashen.

Almost immediately, they saw the server-wide announcement that echoed across the sky, as well as the combat video on the forum that amounted to a "public execution."

"Lin! Mo!"

Overlord Mad Saber clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm from the excessive force, drawing traces of blood.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his handsome face was twisted by extreme rage, making him look like a savage beast ready to devour someone.

Shame! Unprecedented and utter humiliation!

He, the guild leader of Ba Tian Guild, the man at the pinnacle of the server's hierarchy, had been instantly killed with a casual gesture by an unknown solo player, like an ant, right in front of hundreds of thousands of witnesses!

This was even harder for him to accept than being killed back to level zero!

"Pass on my order!" Overlord Mad Saber's voice was hoarse, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.

"Issue the highest-level Guild Kill Order! Put a bounty on Lin Mo! Anyone who can provide his exact coordinates will be rewarded with 100,000 gold coins! Anyone who can kill him once will be rewarded with 1,000,000 gold coins and immediately promoted to a core Elder of the guild!"

"Furthermore, notify our 'friends' in the real world to investigate! Dig up this person named 'Lin Mo' from reality! I want him to know that offending me, Overlord Mad Saber, guarantees a dead end, both online and offline!"

The hysterical roar echoed throughout the Resurrection Temple.

However, in sharp contrast to his fury was the silence of the other guild leaders around him.

Flame Mad Lion wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with lingering fear, "Brother Mad Saber, calm down first. That Lin Mo... he's probably not someone we can easily touch right now."

"Easily touch? I want him, no matter the cost!" Overlord Mad Saber roared.

"Cost?" On the other side, the leader of the Feng Yun Tian Xia guild gave a bitter laugh.

"The cost is that right now, we don't even know where he is. And even if we did, how many people would we need to send? A hundred? A thousand? Have you forgotten the fate of those hundreds of thousands of people on the Wailing Plains?"

That single sentence instantly choked Overlord Mad Saber.

Yes, was the human wave tactic still useful against that monster?

... Meanwhile, in the temporary headquarters of the Oracle Guild.

Luo Li was also repeatedly watching the combat video, her beautiful eyes, hidden beneath her veil, flickering with unprecedented solemnity and... fervor.

"Guild Leader, we have utilized all intelligence channels, but we are completely unable to track Lin Mo's whereabouts," Moon God reported softly from the side. "It's as if he evaporated into thin air."

"As expected." Luo Li nodded slightly and closed the video.

"If he didn't even have that level of counter-surveillance awareness, he wouldn't be worthy of delivering that earth-shattering blow."

"Then what about us..."

"No need to search." Luo Li's tone was frighteningly calm.

"Pass on my order: starting today, 'Lin Mo' is to be designated as a top-level target of interest. We will not be hostile toward him, but we must keep track of his every move.

Furthermore, tell our people that if they happen to encounter him, they may attempt contact and show our goodwill."

"Show goodwill?" Moon God was confused.

"Guild Leader, given his potential, he will inevitably become our greatest competitor in the future..."

"Precisely because of that." Luo Li interrupted her, her gaze becoming incredibly profound.

"With an enemy like this, either you completely eliminate him in the cradle, no matter the cost, before he grows powerful. Or..."

She paused, then said word by word, "You become his friend."

"Now, the best time to eliminate him has passed. Therefore, we are left with only the second choice."

... Lin Mo, the instigator of the earth-shattering discussions and storms outside, was completely oblivious to them.

After crushing the high-level teleportation scroll, he was randomly teleported into the safety zone of a remote small city—Sunset City.

The area was sparsely populated, standing in stark contrast to the bustling prosperity of the City of Glory.

After confirming that he was alone, the first thing Lin Mo did was immediately log off.

"Hoo—"

The gaming pod slowly opened, and Lin Mo sat up inside, letting out a long breath of stale air.

A sense of exhaustion originating from the depths of his soul surged over him like a tide, making him shake his head involuntarily.

The [Ten Thousand Poisons Return to One] strike had consumed far too much mental energy.

But he couldn't afford to rest; he immediately opened the personal terminal on his wrist and skillfully logged into the official currency exchange platform of epoch.

Looking at the "500,000" gold coin balance in his game account, he did not hesitate at all and immediately chose to exchange 100,000 gold coins.

[Ding! Exchange successful! 1,000,000 credit points have been deposited into your linked account. Current account balance: 1,008,540 credit points.]

Staring at the long string of numbers projected on his personal terminal, Lin Mo's heart finally gave an uncontrollable, fierce thump.

One million!

This was a figure he had never dared to imagine before!

In his previous life, he had worked day and night in the game to farm gold for his sister's medical expenses, enduring exploitation and scorn from major guilds, yet he still failed to prevent the tragedy.

And now, the earnings from just one BOSS battle were enough to allow him and his family to live a life free of financial worries!

"This is... only the beginning."

Lin Mo clenched his fist, his eyes filled with unprecedented determination.

He did not indulge in the joy of sudden wealth for long.

After quickly eating some high-energy nutrient paste to replenish his stamina, he lay back down in the gaming pod.

He had to seize every single second.

The 72-hour Weakness period was his biggest vulnerability right now.

He had to use this time to find an absolutely safe "nest" for himself, digest the massive gains from this battle, and prepare thoroughly for the coming storm.

With a flash of white light, Lin Mo reappeared in the safety zone of Sunset City.

The first thing he did was change into an ordinary cloak bought from a general store, completely concealing his face and ID, and then he quickly walked into the quiet little city.

He needed to purchase a large quantity of alchemy materials to prepare for his future guild.

At the same time, he needed to find a suitable leveling spot where he could safely pass the Weakness period.

However, just as he turned a corner, preparing to head to the Auction House, a female player, also wearing a cloak and possessing a graceful figure, brushed past him.

In the instant they passed, both Lin Mo's footsteps and the other person's footsteps unconsciously paused simultaneously.

A strange sense of familiarity, as if meeting a worthy opponent, rose simultaneously in both their hearts.

Lin Mo suddenly turned his head.

And the woman, as if sensing his action, also turned her head at the same time.

Their eyes met.

Although both were hidden beneath the shadow of a cloak, Lin Mo instantly saw a pair of wise and profound eyes that seemed to contain the stars and the sea.

It was her!

The Oracle Guild Leader, Luo Li!