Chapter 276: Second Dive
However, an unexpected scene unfolded.
"Although I don\'t know why I can\'t muster any interest in swallowing you, my fondness for you is genuinely gone."
As Zhong Siyu\'s words fell, a burst of maniacal laughter erupted, and her soul body transformed into a mass of Yin Qi, dissipating into the distance.
"The purpose of this trip has been achieved. A few wastes have fled, but whether I\'ll swallow you the next time we meet due to losing interest in you is uncertain. Old man, you better pray we won\'t meet again."
The voice gradually faded away, and the Yin Qi formed by Zhong Siyu\'s soul body disappeared completely from Yang Haoran\'s sight.
Zhong Siyu\'s sudden departure puzzled Yang Haoran, but it also relieved his tense nerves.
For him, this outcome was already satisfactory. If he had really clashed with Zhong Siyu, today\'s events might not have ended well.
Taking a deep breath, the first thing Yang Haoran did after diverting his gaze was not to ascend the mountain or descend it, nor did he pay attention to the black water pool beside him.Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one for himself and taking a deep drag.
"Damn, how has Zhong Siyu\'s strength reached such a level? Why does her oppressive aura feel so strong to me? Since unlocking the heaven soul, apart from the one above me, I\'ve never felt such a intense pressure from anyone else."
Amidst the exhaled smoke, Yang Haoran wore a pensive expression.
Zhong Siyu\'s rapid strength growth surpassed his imagination. From his perspective, the swift improvement in Zhong Siyu\'s strength was likely related to the Death Mark Seals she had absorbed back then.
In addition, Zhong Siyu must have devoured many powerful ghosts, as indicated by her earlier words. Her presence here today was solely to target the malevolent spirit in the black water pool, with the simple goal of devouring it to enhance her strength.
How Zhong Siyu knew about the malevolent spirit\'s presence, Yang Haoran wasn\'t sure. Perhaps she had known about the malevolent spirit\'s existence for a long time, or maybe she was wandering around for food when the malevolent spirit emerged from the black water pool, catching her attention.
Whether the reality matched his speculation, Yang Haoran dared not affirm. Nevertheless, Zhong Siyu had devoured the malevolent spirit and left, making this detail irrelevant.
What concerned Yang Haoran at this moment was that Zhong Siyu had not taken action against him but, like the previous encounter, had chosen to leave directly.
The last time Zhong Siyu left, it was because she was severely injured and needed a place to heal and refine the Death Mark Seals. This time, it was because she had just devoured a malevolent spirit and needed time to refine and absorb it.
However, in Yang Haoran\'s view, this reason was only a part of it. The real reason lay in the enchantment technique!
As the cigarette in his hand neared its end, Yang Haoran took a final drag, then crushed the butt into the soil with his foot. Exhaling the smoke, his face once again displayed the usual gentle smile.
"It seems... I underestimated the power of the enchantment technique. If I guess correctly, even if we meet again, Zhong Siyu will probably find it difficult to take action against me."
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Yang Haoran quickly suppressed it. He found such thoughts dangerous, especially since Zhong Siyu, in both personality and mindset, had become extremely extreme. Her actions were completely different from those of a normal person, and trying to predict her thoughts using conventional logic could lead to unpredictable consequences.
Thinking of this, Yang Haoran shook his head with a smile, sighing inwardly, "If possible, it\'s better not to encounter her again. At least until my strength reaches a level comparable to hers, it\'s better not to meet her."
As he finished that thought, his pocket vibrated, followed by the whimsical ringtone of his mobile phone.
Yang Haoran retrieved the phone and saw that the caller was Deputy Captain Zhou. After a moment\'s hesitation, he answered the call.
"Divine Envoy Yang! Are you okay?" Deputy Captain Zhou\'s anxious voice came through the phone.
"I\'m fine, no need to worry," Yang Haoran replied with a smile.
Upon hearing Yang Haoran\'s words, Deputy Captain Zhou on the other end visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
"It\'s good that you\'re okay. If anything happened to you, I would feel guilty for the rest of my life. By the way, how is the blood-red malevolent spirit? Did you manage to subdue it?" Deputy Captain Zhou inquired.
Yang Haoran\'s smile became somewhat awkward, and he chuckled, "Deputy Captain Zhou, you\'re overestimating me. Against a ghost like that, even I\'m not her match. If I truly had the ability to subdue her, I wouldn\'t have torn through space to let you all escape just now. I could have captured her directly, right?"
This reminder from Yang Haoran made Deputy Captain Zhou realize the reasoning behind it.
"So, did you successfully escape now?" As the words left Deputy Captain Zhou\'s mouth, he immediately sensed the inappropriateness and hastily explained, "Divine Envoy Yang, please don\'t misunderstand. I didn\'t mean to belittle you. What I meant was, are you safe now?"
"No worries, I\'m not that petty. I\'m still at the black water pool, and the blood-red malevolent spirit has left. Although I\'m not her match, I possess something she fears. Plus, she just devoured a malevolent spirit, so she needs to find a place to refine and absorb it, hence her departure."
Of course, Yang Haoran didn\'t mention the enchantment technique to Deputy Captain Zhou, so he casually came up with an excuse.
Upon hearing Yang Haoran\'s words, Deputy Captain Zhou felt relieved and quickly said, "I\'ll come over right away. You wait for me!"
"The malevolent spirit has been devoured by the blood-red malevolent spirit, and the malevolent spirit has confessed to everything. Why are you coming over?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
"Although the malevolent spirit confessed to everything, the matter is not over. We haven\'t visited the Ruined Temple on the mountain yet, and the anchor who went missing last night was on the mountaintop. To eliminate this menace, we definitely need to go to the summit. Besides, we still have the bodies of our three brothers in the black water pool, and I must bring them home!"
Deputy Captain Zhou\'s tone was resolute, and after a moment of contemplation, Yang Haoran asked, "Are you still at the location where I dropped you off?"
"Yes, this place is quite remote, seems to be near Nine Dragon Hill. I called you immediately after coming out of the spatial crack and haven\'t moved an inch since then," Deputy Captain Zhou responded.
"I chose that location because it\'s not easily discovered. You stay put; I\'ll bring the bodies of your three brothers over first. As for the summit, I\'ll go ahead and scout, but I suggest you contact Captain Luo before coming. Hear his opinion first." Yang Haoran advised.
Upon hearing that Yang Haoran was willing to bring the bodies of the three Spirit Police members back, Deputy Captain Zhou felt elated. He had harbored the same thought but hesitated to bring it up.
"Thank you, Divine Envoy Yang, and thank you for saving all four of us earlier!" Deputy Captain Zhou sincerely expressed his gratitude.
"Don\'t be so polite; we\'re all friends. It\'s just a small effort. I\'ll hang up now; you wait there."
After ending the call, Yang Haoran\'s gaze fell on the three bodies under the big tree. His smile faded, replaced by a sigh.
"Not many people know about your sacrifices, but those who do will surely feel proud and grateful for you. Rest in peace."
As he spoke, Yang Haoran once again tore through space, releasing Yin spirit power to lift the three Spirit Police bodies and gently send them into the closing spatial crack.
As the crack rapidly sealed, the bodies of the Spirit Police members gradually disappeared from Yang Haoran\'s sight.
After bidding farewell to the bodies, Yang Haoran lit another cigarette for himself, one hand in his pocket and the other holding the cigarette. He looked towards the black water pool, taking one step at a time.
Standing outside the black water pool revealed only the dark water, making it challenging to notice any peculiarities. However, once inside, the black water pool revealed its mysterious nature.
Having ventured into the black water pool before, Yang Haoran knew its peculiarities. Now, standing by the pool again, he was prepared to delve into its depths and unravel its secrets.
Yin spirit power once again formed a protective barrier around his body as Yang Haoran stepped into the black water pool for the second time today!