**Chapter 1637: Reminiscence in the Secret Realm**
Outside the Black Rain Secret Realm, many cultivators were gathered. It was like the entrance to a dungeon in a small world, always attracting a crowd. They were exchanging experiences and discussing who had entered the secret realm, why they failed their tasks, and so on.
Although the Human Emperor Network did not allow strategy guides to be widely disseminated, small-scale discussions were not a problem. If anyone dared to publicly sell strategy guides, the Human Emperor Network would directly impose penalties. This had happened many times in history, and no one could escape the Human Emperor Network. The final result was always a loss, not only failing to earn Divine City merit points but possibly even losing money. Over time, no one attempted such things anymore.
The task seemed simple: wait for the next heavy rain and quickly collect black water. But in practice, various unexpected situations always occurred. Many people tried several times without success. Fortunately, there was no penalty for task failure, so they could keep trying. However, some people suffered soul damage and had to leave to recuperate.
Lin Moyu's arrival did not attract any attention. He went to the secret realm's entrance, communicated with the vortex, and smoothly entered the secret realm. As soon as he entered, it was raining lightly. The black raindrops fell, making the whole world look gray and dark. Lin Moyu stood in the rain, but the rain couldn't wet him. Half a meter around him, the Hell of Bones enveloped him, blocking the black rain.
Lin Moyu observed carefully and found that the black rain was not actually rain but rune fragments. Just like in previous secret realms, the essence of the black rain and the golden rain was the same. However, the black rain was not as aggressive as the golden rain. Even ordinary cultivators wouldn't be harmed by the black rain unless it was a torrential downpour. In that case, the black rain could be considered harmless.
"I don't know if this is the first or second rain. I'll have to wait a few days for a heavy rain," Lin Moyu thought. He released a large number of skeletal god warriors to explore the secret realm. This exploration was different from before; it had a strong purpose. With a strategy guide, there was no need for aimless searching, greatly improving efficiency, at least in the first and second stages.
The skeletal god warriors flew out in all directions, their white bodies faintly glowing with golden light. These skeletal god warriors, formed by fusing three basic skeletons, also inherited the Golden Armor Rune. Now, they had the peak attack power of a minor Divine Sovereign and defense comparable to a first-tier Divine Sovereign. If they encountered someone like Dongfang Ze, a single skeletal god warrior could make him curse.
The skeletal god warriors moved through the light rain like arrows, breaking through the raindrops. The black rain couldn't touch them, as the Golden Armor Rune's faint golden light blocked all the black rain. Although the black rain seemed harmless, it could activate the Golden Armor Rune, indicating its complexity.
Half a day later, Lin Moyu found his target. The Black Rain Secret Realm was a world of water, with rivers flowing on the ground and lakes everywhere. There was also a seemingly endless ocean. In the center of the ocean was an island, the destination of this trip and the key to unlocking the second stage.
The island, located in the ocean's center, was rarely visited. Most people collected black water after a heavy rain and left. Only those seeking further progress would search for special areas in the secret realm. A stream of light broke through the sky, and Lin Moyu appeared above the island. He looked down at the island and muttered, "Having a strategy guide is really convenient."
Without a strategy guide, he would have had to spend considerable effort and thought to find the correct method. Now, it was straightforward. "Now, I just need to wait for a torrential rain."
The destination was reached, but the second condition, a torrential rain, was still needed. Torrential rain could appear at any moment or take several days or even tens of days. Lin Moyu was not in a hurry and waited quietly. During this time, he continued studying runes. He hadn't fully mastered all the runes in the "Symbol Language" and needed further study. The path of runes was complex and profound. Sometimes, studying the same rune dozens or hundreds of times could reveal new insights.
The same rune, drawn by different fifth-tier symbol masters, could have vastly different power. Mastery wasn't just about the surface of the rune but understanding its deeper principles to truly unleash its power and even turn decay into magic.
Half a day later, the black rain suddenly stopped. The secret realm seemed to brighten a bit. Three days later, the skeletal god warriors returned. They had reached the secret realm's edge, confirming it wasn't infinite. The entire secret realm's map was now clear in Lin Moyu's mind. The ocean was the center of the secret realm, and the island was the center of the ocean. It was no surprise that the island was the entrance to the second stage.
On the fifth day, the black rain fell again. Lin Moyu looked up at the sky, "Still light rain." The fifth day was still light rain, indicating that when he first entered the secret realm, it was the first light rain. So, in another five days, there would be a heavy rain, allowing him to collect black water and complete the task. As for the torrential rain, he could only wait for it to come.
Lin Moyu continued studying runes, not wasting any time. As expected, five days later, another black rain fell. The rain quickly turned from light to heavy within seconds. The dense raindrops hit the ocean, creating beautiful ripples. In the heavy rain, the ocean water became clearer, revealing the bottom. It seemed as if all the colors were drawn away by some force.
Lin Moyu saw the black water mentioned in the task. Fist-sized clusters of black water formed under the ocean's surface, standing out in the clear water. Each cluster of black water counted as one portion. Lin Moyu's mind moved, and the skeletal god warriors entered the ocean to collect the black water. Their slender white bones passed through the black water but couldn't catch anything. The black water seemed non-existent.
Lin Moyu knew the reason and was just conducting a small experiment. He didn't enter the ocean but extended his soul power, forming a giant hand to grab the black water. This time, the black water was easily caught. The black water existed between reality and illusion, requiring soul power to capture it.
Lin Moyu controlled his soul power to retrieve the black water. Suddenly, numerous rune fragments appeared in the black water, shaking his soul. A virtual scene appeared before his eyes, quickly turning real. Lin Moyu found himself back in the small world, participating in a job transfer at school. "Such nostalgia!"
His eyes showed a hint of reminiscence. Lin Moyu didn't break the illusion but actively engaged in it.