Chapter 277: Dark Yin Stone (1)

The Black Water Pool did not experience any reduction in Yin Qi after the disappearance of the malevolent spirit man. Upon entering the water pool, Yang Haoran found that everything was just as it was before.

This confirmed that the eerie nature of the Black Water Pool had no connection whatsoever with the malevolent spirit man. Whether he was present or not, it would not affect the Black Water Pool in any way.

Although the malevolent spirit man had been swallowed by Zhong Siyu, Yang Haoran couldn't be certain if there were other dangers beneath the Black Water Pool. Therefore, even after entering the pool, he remained vigilant.

The cigarette in his hand continued to burn, but the resulting smoke was forcefully expelled by a shield. Additionally, the shield filtered the oxygen from the water.

Of course, even without oxygen, Yang Haoran wouldn't suffocate. His body had undergone significant changes, and unless his physical body suffered catastrophic damage or his soul was forcibly separated, dying proved to be quite challenging.

Yang Haoran took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling slowly. The ghost eye, resembling a black gem, carefully surveyed the surroundings, hoping to make a discovery.

Due to the peculiar nature of the Black Water Pool, he couldn't discern reality from illusion. Therefore, he didn't rush to descend into the depths immediately. Instead, like the previous time, he allowed his body to sink slowly.

After a moment, Yang Haoran flicked the cigarette butt away. As it touched the shield, it was promptly expelled. At that moment, as the cigarette met the water and extinguished, he seemed to realize something, and his expression changed slightly.

"The Yin Qi in this Black Water Pool is strong. The deeper I go, the heavier the Yin Qi becomes. Could this be the extreme yin place I've been tirelessly searching for?"

This thought flashed through his mind, and suddenly, Yang Haoran's expression became excited.

The extreme yin place, as the name suggested, was a location with an extremely dense Yin Qi. Not every place with heavy Yin Qi could be called an extreme yin place; it had to reach a terrifying level for that designation.

Yang Haoran first learned about extreme yin places from Xu Meijing. Later, he read numerous books, some of which had records about extreme yin places. As a result, he gained a deeper understanding of these unique locations.

In his quest to forge the soul-refining cauldron, Yang Haoran had spent some time searching for an extreme yin place. During that period, he would lure undead at night while searching for the elusive location. Only extreme yin places had the potential to produce dark yin stones, the sole material for crafting the soul-refining cauldron.

However, he had found nothing during that time. Even the trace of an extreme yin place eluded him. These places were rare, and finding them required a certain amount of luck.

People from the Yin Division had a strong sensitivity to Yin Qi, making it easier for them to locate extreme yin places. However, it was relative ease, and if there was no extreme yin place nearby, even their unique sensitivity to Yin Qi would be useless.

Another major reason for his lack of success was that, after a period of searching, the appearance of the spirit master redirected his focus to survival and how to take down his opponent before dying. Consequently, he had no time or opportunity to continue his search for an extreme yin place.

If he was wrong in his analysis and there was no dark yin stone here, it would mean that fate played a big joke on him.

Because of his high level of confidence, the excitement Yang Haoran displayed now was even stronger than before. Encountering no danger and finding the potential presence of a dark yin stone, how could he not be thrilled?

There were many objects at the bottom of the water, making it challenging to find the dark yin stone. However, at this moment, Yang Haoran was motivated and not at all bothered by the trouble.

Yin spirit power transformed into two large hands, flipping through skeletons, stones, and unidentified vegetation. Yang Haoran searched meticulously, leaving no corner untouched.

However, after an hour passed, Yang Haoran was dumbfounded.

He had spent a whole hour conducting a thorough search of the entire pool bottom, but the dark yin stone he sought was nowhere to be found.

Yang Haoran frowned. His excitement had not only dissipated completely at this point but was replaced by a hint of disappointment and confusion.

He believed that his analysis shouldn't be wrong, but the current reality contradicted his expectations. He had combed through the entire bottom of the pool and found no sign of a dark yin stone, leaving him somewhat puzzled.

"Could my analysis really be wrong?"

Faced with the undeniable facts, Yang Haoran couldn't help but doubt the accuracy of his analysis. However, he shook his head afterward, rejecting this thought.

"If my analysis were wrong, I should have found something strange here. But I haven't noticed anything unusual in this pool, so how do I explain the phenomenon of Yin Qi gathering and sinking to the ground?"

With this thought, Yang Haoran felt that he might have overlooked something. Although he knew the possibility was slim, he couldn't think of a better explanation at the moment.

So, he decided to search the pool bottom again, hoping to make some new discoveries.

Just as he was about to start, Yang Haoran's expression suddenly froze. At that moment, he realized a very important question.

"Why am I so silly? Clearly, there's a better way, so why am I searching inch by inch?"