Rain stood beside a pool of black water, eerily reminiscent of the dark ocean he had encountered in the soul world (Chapter 41). This pool lay hidden deep within the mine behind his house. Earlier that evening, after returning home at sunset with the rune book and the promised top-rank palm technique, *Violent Bear Palm*, he had hoped for a peaceful night's rest.
However, as night fell, strange noises from the mine disturbed his sleep again. Determined to put an end to the disturbance, Rain had removed the large stone blocking the mine's entrance and ventured inside to clear out the zombies and explore its depths. The strongest zombie he encountered was a half-Grandmaster, but it posed little challenge to him, falling swiftly to his prowess.
Now, at the end of the mine, Rain stood before the unsettling pool of black water, its surface rippling with a sinister energy. A notification from the soul chip buzzed in his mind—reminding him of the alarm he had set for 5:00 a.m. earlier that night. He had planned to wake up early to practice his palm techniques and train with the divine runes, dedicating the hours from dawn until noon for focused cultivation.
Before leaving the mine, Rain took a moment to study the dark pool. Its presence unsettled him; having something so enigmatic and potentially dangerous nearby made him uneasy similar to the water of the black ocean. He resolved to address the mystery soon. Today, Lian was expected to visit to handle errands, including grocery shopping. He decided that he would ask her to contact Xue Lin and bring her to his house.
As an immortal cultivator and the manager of the Golden Treasure House, Xue Lin would likely recognize the nature of the black water and provide answers to ease his mind. With that decision made, Rain stepped out of the depleted mine and rolled the large stone back into place, sealing the entrance once more. The early morning light bathed the landscape, though the sun itself was hidden behind the mountain that rose up behind his house to the east.
Rain took a deep breath, feeling the cool mountain air fill his lungs, and stepped inside his house. After some time, he emerged onto the second-floor balcony, carrying the basic book of runes and the special paper Xue Lin had given him. He briefly disappeared inside and returned with ink and a feather pen. Settling down on the floor, Rain opened the book to the page containing the healing rune. The soul chip in his mind had already calculated the precise way to draw the three-dimensional rune on the paper.
According to the book, one must channel true energy and mix it with the ink on the brush so that the drawn rune would be imbued with power. Rain focused, mobilizing his true energy, and dipped the pen into the ink. Concentrating intently, Rain began to draw, the ink shimmering faintly as it absorbed his true energy. As he finished the rune, it flashed with a green light, and Rain could feel the rule emanating from it. Without wasting any time, he focused on understanding the essence contained in the healing rune.
The glow faded after about ten seconds, prompting Rain to immediately begin drawing again as he was not able to understand completly the rule emanating from the healing rune. This cycle of completing the healing rune and studying the rule within it continued for some time.
Rain was interrupted by the sound of shouting outside his house. He paused, stood up, and glanced over the balcony to see Lian waiting below.
"Wait, I'm coming down," Rain called out.
Before leaving, he noticed he only had five sheets of the special paper left; Xue Lin had given him twenty. Making a mental note, Rain descended from the first floor to the ground level and opened the door, coming face-to-face with Lian. She was wearing the same dress as before, now freshly cleaned.
"Good morning, Sir," Lian greeted cheerfully.
"Good morning, Lian," Rain replied, his mind briefly turning to the cost of his groceries since he wasn't familiar with the local prices. "How much will everything cost?" he asked.
"Three silver coins will do, Sir," Lian answered.
Rain took out three silver coins and handed them to her. "I have another task for you," he added.
Lian's eyes lit up with curiosity. "What task, Sir?"
Rain replied, "Go to the Golden Treasure House and inform them that I've invited their manager for something important. Make sure to emphasize that it's urgent." Rain knew that sending Lian to call for Xue Lin might be seen as disrespectful, but he was unwilling to leave his house until he understood the nature of the black water in the mine. Previously, he had left without knowledge of its existence; now, knowing it was there, he couldn't bring himself to leave without answers.
Lian hesitated. "Sir, they may not take me seriously."
Rain considered her concern and realized she was right. Remembering the token Xue Lin had given him, he took it out and handed it to her. "Show them this. They will take you seriously."
Lian's expression brightened with newfound confidence. "Then I'll leave right away."
Rain nodded. "You can go." He watched Lian leave before heading back upstairs to continue drawing runes on the remaining five sheets of paper. After completing and comprehending the final healing rune, he noticed that his true energy was once again depleted. Each rune took roughly 10 minutes to draw, but after completing five, he was exhausted. Without recovering his true energy, he couldn't continue drawing. To restore his energy quickly, he needed food, herbs, or energy-recovery medicine. He began eating to replenish himself, and after some time, he felt his energy return.
Rain glanced at the stack of papers now marked with the healing runes he had drawn. He pondered what to do with them. *Should I try to sell these to Xue Lin?* he thought. *I can't sell all 20 at once—if she realized I was capable of drawing so many perfectly on my first attempt, she might suspect I possess a rare treasure like the soul chip.* Deciding on a cautious approach,Rain resolved to offer just two of the runes at first to gauge Xue Lin's reaction.
*What should I do while waiting for Lian to return with Xue Lin?* he thought. *I should practice the rest of the middle-rank palm techniques and master them quickly so I can begin the top-rank Violent Bear Palm.* With that in mind, Rain leapt from the balcony to the ground below and started practicing, his movements fluid and precise.
As he trained, his thoughts wandered to the Rain in the radiation world. That version of himself had already spent six grueling days fighting on the battlefield, leaving just one day remaining to meet the mandatory combat requirement in the Dead Battlefield Domain. After that, he would have the choice of whether to continue participating in battles or not. The memories also revealed that Rain had successfully combined the Cloud Sword Art with the Spring Sword Art, creating a formidable technique.
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At the gate of Rain's house, Lian climbed down from the front driver's seat of the carriage, where she had been sitting alongside an old man who was a half-step grandmaster and a guard for Xue Lin. Lian closed the gate as the carriage rolled in, the sound of the wheels crunching on the gravel path reaching Rain's ears. He paused his practice by the pond, the noise drawing his attention. Unable to see the gate from where he stood, Rain walked to a vantage point where it came into view. He saw Lian closing the gate and the old man bringing the carriage to a halt. Rain approached just as someone stepped out of the carriage.
At first, he thought it was Xue Lin, but he quickly realized it was a woman he did not recognize. Then, Xue Lin stepped out behind her. Rain's face lit up with a smile as he walked forward.
"Good afternoon, Xue Lin. You came."
Xue Lin nodded, returning his smile. "Good afternoon. I was free when I heard that you summoned me for something important."
Rain's expression turned serious as he thought of the black water pool inside the mine. "Yes, let's go. I'll show you."
"Wait," Xue Lin said, gesturing to the woman beside her. "Let me introduce my companion, Gou Li. She was with me when your servant came to call, and upon hearing it was you, she decided to join."
Rain's mind sparked with recognition at the name, remembering Gou Fan mentioning the daughter of the head of the Gou family who lived in the city as a doctor. He smiled politely. "Hello."
Gou Li inclined her head. "Hello. I was hoping to find you for a discussion, and when Xue Lin mentioned you, I decided to come along."
Rain's curiosity was piqued, though he could guess the reason she sought him out. "For what?"
Gou Li glanced at Xue Lin and nodded. "We can talk later. First, you and Xue Lin should attend to your matter."
Rain acknowledged her with a nod. "Follow me, Miss Xue and Miss Gou." He led the way toward the mine, followed closely by Xue Lin, Gou Li, and the old man. Reaching the entrance, Rain removed the stone blocking it and peered into the darkness. Although he could see inside due to his heightened senses, he realized they might not be able to. He turned to them. "Wait here. I'll bring a torch to light the way."
Xue Lin shook her head. "No need for a torch." She muttered an incantation, and a glowing ball of light formed in her hand, illuminating the mine's dark interior.
"Convenient," Rain remarked as he stepped inside. The bodies of three pale-skinned zombies lay strewn across the ground, and he stepped over them.
Xue Lin glanced around, her eyes sharp. "You killed all the zombies in the mine?"
"Yes, I dealt with them last night," Rain replied.
Xue Lin's brows lifted slightly. "Then you must have called me because you discovered what caused their formation."
"Exactly," Rain confirmed, impressed by her perceptiveness. He continued deeper into the mine, guiding them toward the hidden pool of black water.
After a few minutes, they reached the cavern where the pool resided. On the path leading to it, a corpse with skin half-white and half-black lay motionless.
Gou Li paused, her eyes widening. "A half-step black zombie... Thank the heavens you eliminated it before it fully evolved into a black zombie." The group momentarily halted behind her, taking in the sight.
Rain's mind churned. *A black zombie only possesses the strength of a Grandmaster warrior. Why is she reacting as if it would have been so formidable?* He had already defeated a first-rank monster, so a newly evolved black zombie shouldn't pose an insurmountable challenge. "Its strength only reaches that of a Grandmaster after evolving. With some effort, I believe I could kill it," he said confidently.
Xue Lin met his gaze. "Yes, with your strength, you could defeat it—but only if it doesn't escape."
Rain frowned. "With my abilities, how could it possibly escape from me?"
Xue Lin's expression turned serious. "When a white zombie evolves into a black zombie, it gains a special ability. This ability makes them exceedingly difficult to kill."
Rain's curiosity was piqued. "What ability?"
"Earth travel," Xue Lin explained. "This allows them to move through the earth itself. Their intelligence also increases, so if they sense they are at a disadvantage, they'll use this ability to flee."
Rain nodded, realization dawning on him. "I was fortunate, then." He turned and led them into the final cavern of the mine, the others following closely behind.
Before Rain could say a word about the pool, Xue Lin and Gou Li simultaneously exclaimed as their eyes landed on it. "Devil Pool."