Having decided not to continue vying for the jade tokens, Xing Peng immediately gave up on seizing more jade tokens and explained the situation to Shangguan Meiyu. He hoped this would make Shangguan Meiyu give up the idea of staying with him. However, when Xing Peng shared his next plan with Shangguan Meiyu, she showed little surprise. Instead, she adorably pestered Xing Peng, insisting that she would not leave him and wanted to accompany him to the next destination.
Feeling helpless, Xing Peng could only shake his head bitterly. Then, he took out ten jade tokens, combined them to obtain a map for leaving the maritime area, and led Shangguan Meiyu to the next trial location, the Blackwater Plains.
An hour later.
Hovering over an endless black swamp plain, Xing Peng and Shangguan Meiyu flew through the air, with Xing Peng curiously observing the black swamp below, his eyes shining with unfamiliar stars.
The black swamp was filled with thick blue mist, dazzling and enchanting under its cover. Occasionally, the roars of fierce beasts echoed, sending chills down one's spine.
"Brother Peng, be careful, the blue mist here is poisonous!" Just after arriving above the Blackwater Plains, Shangguan Meiyu suddenly warned Xing Peng in a delicate voice.
"How do you know it's poisonous?" Xing Peng turned his eyes in surprise, looking at Shangguan Meiyu.
"I've read some records about the Blackwater Plains before. According to those records, this place is shrouded in poisonous fog all year round and is full of fierce beasts. Although it's not as infamous as the 'Hell Valley' and other ancient dangerous places, it's still a nightmare for most martial artists, even Sky-Breaking Level warriors have perished here!" Shangguan Meiyu said with a smile.
"Sky-Breaking Level warriors have perished here? Are you sure?!" Xing Peng was shocked. He had read many records before but had never come across information about the Blackwater Plains.
"Yes! Indeed, Sky-Breaking Level warriors have fallen here. And what I said just now was the most conservative statement. The deeper you go into the Blackwater Plains, the more dangerous it gets. It's said that not just Sky-Breaking Level warriors, but even King Level warriors have perished in its depths," Shangguan Meiyu nodded affirmatively.
"The more you talk, the more incredible it sounds. A plain where even King Level warriors have perished sounds a bit too frightening!" Xing Peng grimaced, somewhat disbelievingly looking at Shangguan Meiyu.
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"Brother Peng, I'm not lying to you. According to the records I've read, King Level warriors have indeed perished here. Despite its dangers, the Blackwater Plains also has its advantages. It's said that deep within, there are numerous treasures capable of driving King Level warriors mad with desire, so many King Level warriors venture here to take their chances," Shangguan Meiyu explained.
Listening to Shangguan Meiyu, Xing Peng didn't doubt the truthfulness of her words. Upon arriving, he had already sensed the danger. His questioning was more about seeing how much she knew about this place.
"Fortunately, the mission only requires us to survive here for fifteen days and doesn't specify where in the Blackwater Plains we must stay. Otherwise, surviving here for fifteen days would not be an easy task," Xing Peng felt a sense of relief.
Xing Peng and Shangguan Meiyu didn't fly much longer in the sky. After a short while, they landed in the Blackwater Plains under Xing Peng's lead.
"Ah!" As soon as they landed, a shrill scream suddenly pierced their ears.
Xing Peng frowned slightly and quickly looked towards the source of the scream. What he saw made his expression grave. About a kilometer away, a huge shadow was attacking an Earth Level mid-stage martial artist, who was at a complete disadvantage and was torn to pieces in the blink of an eye.
As the Earth Level mid-stage warrior was torn apart, the huge shadow suddenly scanned towards Xing Peng and Shangguan Meiyu's location, then charged at them like lightning.
It was a two-zhang-tall beast, dark green all over with scales covering its body. Its head was as large as a millstone, resembling a fish but looking more like a frogman. It emitted a violently fierce aura, opening its huge mouth in a terrifying manner. As it leaped towards Xing Peng and Shangguan Meiyu, a large amount of green mist spread in all directions, emitting a pungent smell that made one nauseous even from a distance.
"The Blackwater Poison Frog!! Brother Peng, be careful, this is the Blackwater Poison Frog, full of deadly poison. Don't let it get close," Shangguan Meiyu cried out anxiously as the poison frog approached rapidly.
"Oh!" Xing Peng responded, flipping his right hand and suddenly executing 'The Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms'. A golden dragon roared towards the incoming poison frog, blasting it away. As the frog was sent flying, a large amount of green liquid splashed in all directions, corroding anything it touched. The bones scattered across the Blackwater Plains turned to ash upon contact with the liquid, demonstrating the frog's potent poison.
Seeing this, Xing Peng's pupils constricted, and he involuntarily gasped. The trial set by the White Tiger Academy was indeed perilous. If not for Shangguan Meiyu's warning, he might have faced a dire threat from this creature. Such poisonous beings posed a challenge to any martial artist.
"It seems I need to find time to practice the Tang Sect's poison skills. Otherwise, being attacked by such potent poison in this world would be an unjust end!" Xing Peng thought to himself. In his previous life, he had been given several sacks of martial arts secrets by that unscrupulous old man. Although he memorized them all, he hadn't mastered them. To fully learn these secrets required a lot of effort, and despite his diligent martial arts practice, he didn't have the time. Now, in this survival-of-the-fittest world, Xing Peng found it necessary to arm himself with those martial arts skills he hadn't focused on in his previous life.
