"Could this be the peculiar cloud layer Uncle Wang mentioned?" Lin Tian mused aloud.
Although Lin Tian could see it clearly this time, the distance was too great for his spiritual vision to provide detailed information. Relying on the naked eye alone, the black cloud gave Lin Tian an uneasy feeling.
Puff~!
Long Yi, who was gliding beside him, emitted a sound, as if echoing Lin Tian's thoughts.
Originally, Lin Tian had anticipated spending some time searching based on the clues Uncle Wang had given after arriving at Canglong Mountain. Unexpectedly, he stumbled upon a clue right after his ascent up the mountain.
"When things go awry, there's usually a monster. Something's amiss with this black cloud!" Lin Tian muttered, mentally preparing himself. He then gestured to Long Yi and started moving towards the location of the black cloud.
...
As evening descended, Lin Tian gazed up at the black clouds hovering not far above his head and wiped the sweat from his forehead. A cheerful mountain stream flowed at the foot of the mountain.
Long Yi was engrossed in playing with the small fish that had appeared in the stream. However, at this moment, it seemed Long Yi had grown a bit weary of the game. Lin Tian watched as the dragon opened its mouth wide, its fangs glistening in the water, swiftly consuming a small fish.
Long Yi smacked his mouth, slightly dissatisfied, and continued to search for the next source of amusement.
Kneeling down, Lin Tian cupped his hands and took a refreshing sip of water, savoring the sweetness of the mountain stream.
"There's an old saying that running uphill can tire you to death, and it seems to hold some truth..." Lin Tian remarked, wiping water stains from the corners of his mouth, a wry smile on his face.
Following the stream downwards, Lin Tian came across a mountain pass. It was estimated that the pass was located just below the dark clouds.
Although the distance was still considerable, it was now much closer than when they had first climbed the mountain.
However, the range of his spiritual observation was limited, and Lin Tian still couldn't ascertain whether the black cloud was related to Yin spirits or Uncle Wang's predicament.
Taking out the GPS, Lin Tian checked his location. The GPS displayed that he was now on the edge of the area indicated by Uncle Wang.
"It's been quite a while, so a few discrepancies are understandable!" Lin Tian remarked.
Murmuring to himself, Lin Tian followed the stream, making his way towards the mountain pass.
This time, Lin Tian obliged Long Yi's desire to remain in the stream.
Speaking of Long Yi, Lin Tian was aware that despite possessing passive skills like water-bending that allowed him to move effortlessly through water, Long Yi was still inherently drawn to water. Even though he had the ability to swim freely in the air, Long Yi displayed a strong affinity for aquatic environments.
To be precise, whenever there were suitable conditions, Long Yi would naturally choose to stay in the water rather than roam through the air.
Furthermore, while waterbending was a passive skill and the spiritual power consumption was considerably lower compared to offensive techniques like water bombs, there was still some energy expended.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
From the moment Lin Tian woke up in the morning until this evening, Long Yi had yet to unleash his aquatic nature.
...
Not long after Lin Tian strolled alongside the stream, Long Yi in the water suddenly stiffened. A fierce glint appeared in his eyes. Waves of spiritual power emanated from Long Yi's body.
The fish that had been curiously circling Long Yi in the stream swiftly fled in fear at the sight of this development. Long Yi paid them no mind, not even noticing the little fry making a desperate escape between the gaps in his teeth at the corner of his mouth.
Um?
"What's the matter, Long Yi?" Lin Tian, who was walking ahead, felt a warning from Long Yi through their shared consciousness. He stopped and inquired in a hushed tone.
Simultaneously, threads of spiritual power emerged from Lin Tian's consciousness, spreading out and exploring the surrounding environment.
Not long after, Lin Tian furrowed his brow, prompted by Long Yi's caution. "The air... there's a hint of coldness!" he noted.
In response to Long Yi's warning, Lin Tian meticulously investigated his surroundings using his spiritual senses, but found neither presence nor the scent of any creatures.
However, just as Lin Tian contemplated retracting his spiritual observation, he detected something peculiar in the air.
Moreover...
Lin Tian also noticed that, unintentionally, a trace of cold air was seeping through his skin and into his body.
Though extremely faint, this cold aura was so subtle that detecting it was a challenge for Lin Tian. Nevertheless, the moment he perceived it, there was already a thread-like Yin spirit aura within his body.
This Yin spirit aura was the accumulation of the cold air infiltrating his body.
Had Long Yi not cautioned him, Lin Tian might have found himself in a precarious situation by the time he discovered this.
As the threads of Lin Tian's spiritual power retracted into his body, the newly formed Yin spirit aura dissipated under his control.
Simultaneously, a wave of hopeful spiritual power enveloped Lin Tian, dispelling the cold breath that had been gathering in the air.
"Could it be that Uncle Wang's encounter was caused by the accumulation of Yin spirits from the cold air?" Lin Tian pondered aloud.
"The Yin spirit aura that entered my body this time is exceedingly faint and passive. Reflecting on it this way, considering the 'fermentation' over the two years, it does shed light on what Uncle Wang experienced!" Lin Tian rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
Whoosh~!
With a mental command from Lin Tian, Long Yi emerged from the water, returning to his perch on Lin Tian's wrist.
Looking up, Lin Tian observed the black clouds directly above, a sense of foreboding settling in.
"Hmph, I'm eager to discover what's emitting such an intense cold aura!" Lin Tian declared, lightly tapping Long Yi, who was tilting his head on his wrist. He then snorted, and in a flash, he sprinted towards the mountain pass.
...
"Indeed, the cold aura emanating from this black cloud is affecting the surrounding air!" Lin Tian concluded.
Before long, Lin Tian perched on a high rock, gazing at the black clouds above the mountain pass.
Through his spiritually enhanced eyes, he could sense the cold aura descending from the sky.
Although the specific details of the black clouds eluded Lin Tian due to the distance, he paid special attention to the changes in the air, thanks to Long Yi's earlier warning.
As anticipated, the cold aura dispersed from the black clouds.
"This cold aura is extremely elusive, yet it imparts a sense of heaviness," Lin Tian noted. "As I've been closing in on the mountain pass, the cold breath has grown increasingly intense, vaguely taking on the characteristics of Yin spirit breath."
Frowning, Lin Tian extended threads of spiritual power from his fingertips, dispelling a trace of Yin spirit breath.
After a few moments, Lin Tian shrugged and sighed, "It appears that Yin spirits of this caliber cannot yield spirit beads—or rather, Yin spirits devoid of independent consciousness cannot generate spirit beads!"
"Huh? What's this?"
Suddenly, Lin Tian let out a gasp of astonishment.
In his vision, something akin to a black cloud manifested at the base of the mountain pass. It was densely packed, resembling a field of weeds.
What surprised Lin Tian was that this swarm of "weeds" was in slow motion.
Long Yi also observed this development, brimming with concealed and potent spiritual power, ready for action.
Yet, Lin Tian remained still at that moment, scrutinizing the moving black mass.
Following the motion of the black cloud, Lin Tian's pupils dilated in astonishment, "That... that's a sand fruit tree!"
"Wait a moment, that... that's not a Sand Guo tree!"
Focusing intently, Lin Tian examined the scene more closely and identified the Sand Guo tree's distinctive features.
What fruits were hanging from branches resembling sand fruit trees? They were inky-black fruits that resembled infants!
Each fruit was about the size of a fist.
Though small, the fruits were complete with limbs, a head, and all five senses.