Chapter 54 Blackwater Pool

Shen Lian and his three companions traversed the Black Mist Forest, heading towards the Black Water Pool.

Chu Wen led the way, stopping from time to time to observe the tracks on the ground.

"There are traces of monster activity here." Chu Wen pointed to the claw marks on the ground. "They should have been left by the 'Black Water Crocodile' when it came ashore to hunt."

The paw prints extended into the depths of the dense forest, and the four people followed the tracks.

About half an hour later, the sound of flowing water came from ahead.

Passing through the deadwood forest, a wide pool came into view. The water was as black as ink, the surface calm and still, emitting a faint fishy smell. The pool was surrounded by dense reeds, making it the perfect ambush spot.

"This is it," Chu Wen said in a low voice. "Let's proceed according to plan."

The four nodded in acknowledgment, then split into two groups and dispersed. Shen Lian and Chen Yun ambushed on the left side of the reeds, while Lin Feng and Chu Wen ambushed on the right.

Shen Lian took out a wild rabbit that he had prepared beforehand from his backpack. He had hunted it along the way and used it as bait to lure the "Black Water Crocodile".

He tied the rabbit to a rope and threw it forcefully into the center of the pool.

thump!

A hare fell into the water and struggled to swim back to shore. Soon, ripples appeared on the calm surface, and several dark shadows rapidly approached from underwater.

Whoosh!

An eight-foot-long blackwater crocodile burst from the water, seized a rabbit in its jaws, and quickly dragged it back into the water. Immediately afterwards, a second and a third blackwater crocodile appeared, vying for their prey.

[Combat Strength]: 28~36

Shen Lian watched the 'Black Water Crocodile' fighting over the wild rabbit and measured its combat strength to be between 28 and 36. It wasn't too strong, but since it was a social monster, it would be surrounded and attacked by all the 'Black Water Crocodiles' once it made a move.

"One, two, three... seven." Chu Wen counted the number, his expression grave. "More than expected."

Shen Lian's eyes were calm: "According to the plan, bring one up first."

He pulled the rope, slowly dragging the hare towards the shore. A black crocodile followed closely behind, climbing ashore. Its massive body left deep marks in the mud, its gaping maw revealing sharp, white teeth.

"superior!"

Shen Lian gave a low shout, and the four of them attacked simultaneously.

Lin Feng was the fastest, his long sword aimed straight at the black crocodile's eye. The black crocodile reacted extremely quickly, tilting its head, the blade tip piercing the edge of its eye socket, sending sparks flying.

"So hard!" Lin Feng exclaimed in surprise.

Chen Yun attacked from the side, her long blade aimed at the black water crocodile's throat. The crocodile's tail swept across, forcing Chen Yun to retreat and dodge.

Shen Lian seized the opportunity, exerted force with his feet, and soared into the air. He raised his long sword high and unleashed a powerful "Mountain Splitting Strike" at the back of the Black Water Crocodile's neck.

clang!

The blade clashed against the scales, producing a metallic clang.

Although the strike failed to break through the defense, the immense force caused the Blackwater Crocodile's head to slam down, revealing an opening.

"Now!" Chu Wen had been waiting for a long time. He quickly approached the Black Water Crocodile and precisely pierced its eye with his long sword.

The black crocodile, in pain, struggled wildly and crashed into an ancient tree nearby, breaking it in two.

Shen Lian seized the opportunity to deliver the finishing blow, slashing the black crocodile across the neck and severing its head, which rolled to the side.

The black crocodile struggled for a moment, then its life force quickly dissipated.

The four men were panting heavily; the fierce battle had taken its toll on them all.

Shen Lian frowned slightly and looked towards the pool. The remaining six black crocodiles, attracted by the smell of blood, slowly swam towards the shore.

"We can't wait for them to come ashore." Shen Lian made a quick decision. "Brother Chu, Lin Feng, you two take care of the three on the left. Junior Sister Chen, we'll deal with the three on the right."

"good!"

The four split into two teams and attacked the black crocodiles that had climbed ashore.

Three black crocodiles crawled ashore on the right and approached Shen Lian and Chen Yun.

These three blackwater crocodiles were all over seven feet long, with the largest one nearly nine feet long. Although they crawled slowly, they exuded a very strong aura.

[Combat Strength]: 30-38

[Combat Strength]: 28-36

[Combat Strength]: 26-34

Shen Lian activated the [Combat Power Detection] and detected the combat power data of the three black water crocodiles. The longest one had the highest combat power, reaching the third level of the Heavenly Realm.

"Junior Sister Chen, I'll deal with the big one. You hold off the other two. Don't fight them head-on. I'll come help you after I've dealt with them," Shen Lian said to Chen Yun.

Chen Yun nodded slightly, took steps forward, and took the initiative to meet the two black water crocodiles. Her long knife trembled slightly as she slashed at the crocodiles.

Chen Yun successfully restrained the two black crocodiles, buying time for Shen Lian.

Shen Lian locked his gaze on the black water crocodile, which was about nine feet long and had the strongest combat power. Then, he moved wildly, pushing his steps to the limit, and shot out like an arrow.

Mountain-splitting style!

Shen Lian immediately unleashed his swordsmanship, slashing his longsword down from above.

Sensing the threat, the black crocodile twisted its massive body violently, its thick tail sweeping out like a steel whip to meet Shen Lian's longsword.

clang!

A deafening crash suddenly resounded.

The black crocodile was forced back by Shen Lian's sword. It immediately roared and stomped its four legs on the ground. Its huge body shot out like a cannonball and rushed straight at Shen Lian.

Wave-cutting style!

Shen Lian's eyes sharpened, and he stepped forward, unleashing three consecutive slashes at the black water crocodile. The long sword cut through the air, creating a surge of sword energy.

clang!clang!clang!

Shen Lian unleashed three consecutive slashes at the Black Water Crocodile, sending sparks flying everywhere.

The black crocodile was forced back by Shen Lian, and three knife marks appeared on its body. Its scales were broken, and blood kept gushing out.

Before the black water crocodile could react, Shen Lian had already appeared above it, his long sword cleaving down from above.

Bang!

Shen Lian slashed his blade across the Black Water Crocodile's head, a violent collision resounding as the sharp blade energy pierced the crocodile's skull, killing it.

On the other side, Chen Yun was caught in a tough battle.

Facing two formidable blackwater crocodiles alone, she found it difficult to cope and was forced to retreat repeatedly.

Suddenly, the crocodile opened its mouth and spat out a stream of black water. Chen Yun dodged to the side, but was struck on the left shoulder by the tail of another crocodile, and flew backward with a muffled groan.

Shen Lian's eyes turned cold, and he unleashed his full power, shooting forward like an arrow. Just as Chen Yun was about to land, he caught her with his left arm and slashed horizontally with his long sword in his right hand.

A flash of light, and the black crocodile was instantly killed.

Chen Yun steadied herself, her face slightly pale: "Thank you, Senior Brother Shen."

Shen Lian nodded slightly, then looked at the other black crocodile.

Seeing its companions being killed one after another, the black crocodile began to retreat and turned to try to escape back to the pool.

"Trying to leave?"

Shen Lian snorted and activated the "Tiger-Taming Stance" footwork. In a few leaps, he caught up with the black water crocodile and slashed down from above with his sword.

The force broke through the black water crocodile's defenses and swiftly crushed its life force.

Shen Lian breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the corpse on the ground. He then looked into the distance and saw that Chu Wen and Lin Feng had also dealt with the Black Water Crocodile.

All seven black crocodiles were killed, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

Shen Lian and his companions successfully hunted down seven Blackwater Crocodiles. Based on the calculation of five points for each second-tier demon beast, they earned a total of thirty-five points in this battle.

Looking at the black crocodile carcasses scattered on the ground, Chen Yun suddenly said, "These crocodile skins and teeth should fetch a good price."

"We can't bring too much during the trial," Shen Lian shook his head. "We'll only take the most valuable parts."

The four men acted swiftly, peeling off the softest piece of skin from the crocodile's belly, along with its longest teeth. These materials were small, valuable, and perfect for carrying.

Shen Lian glanced at the sky: "The sun is about to set, and the Black Mist Forest will be even more dangerous at night. We need to find a safe place to spend the night."

Lin Feng said, "The Deadwood Forest is only ten miles from here. It has a wide view and is suitable for setting up camp."

The four quickly gathered their spoils and headed back towards the Deadwood Forest.

When we returned to the deadwood forest, it was nearly dusk.

The four chose a high-lying open space, surrounded on three sides by dead trees, with only one narrow path leading in, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Chu Wen took out beast-repelling powder from his backpack and sprinkled it around the camp: "This is a specially made powder that can repel most low-level demonic beasts."

The group gathered some dry branches to start a fire. The temperature dropped sharply at night, and without a campfire for warmth, they were easily chilled by the cold.

Chen Yun took out some dry rations and jerky from her backpack and distributed them to everyone: "Eat something to replenish your strength first."

After we finished eating, it got dark.

"We're safe for now," Shen Lian said, "but someone must take turns keeping watch tonight to prevent an attack."

The four agreed on the night watch order: Shen Lian and Chen Yun would be responsible for the first half of the night, while Lin Feng and Chu Wen would be responsible for the second half. They would take turns keeping watch so that they could conserve their energy for the next day.