I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 139 - 104: Kill!

"I’m sure of it!"

...

BOOM!

A massive explosion shook the air, sending sand flying everywhere.

Gu Zheng unlocked his Bronze Elephant Body, augmenting his strength to a colossal level. He swung his Celestial Frost Blade, and his Bronze Fist Blade followed right after. The fist slammed into the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s chest, denting its scales. Gu Zheng heard the distinct CRACK of breaking bones as the creature was knocked backward and sent flying.

WHOOSH!

Before the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon could stabilize itself, Gu Zheng charged forward at top speed. He imbued his Celestial Frost Blade with Sword Intent and aimed for the demon’s neck and heart.

CLANG! CLANG!

BAM! BAM!

CRASH!!

The Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon adjusted its deep, ink-colored scales, blocking both of Gu Zheng’s attacks—one a feint, the other real.

Its massive body crashed violently into the sand, sinking halfway into the ground.

However, such a minor injury barely affected its ability to move.

The instant it landed, its long, thin tail shot toward Gu Zheng’s chest. With a SQUELCH, it pierced through a plate of his armor and into his bronze skin, but it only penetrated slightly before being stopped, unable to go any deeper.

SHING!

Gu Zheng swung his blade at the thin tail. With another SQUELCH, a large section of the incredibly swift appendage was severed and fell to the ground.

"ROAR!"

The Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon shot backward, putting distance between itself and Gu Zheng. It twisted the stump of its tail, staunching the flow of blood.

Its crimson, vertical pupils stared fixedly at Gu Zheng, filled with hatred.

’Damn human! How does he still have so much strength?’

As Gu Zheng had guessed, it had indeed been cultivating at the bottom of the Yunmushan Reservoir.

Two days ago, it had devoured the people of an entire village and was still in the process of digesting them.

After the reservoir cliff was detonated and the water burst out to form a torrent, the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon emerged from the depths. It had been following just behind Gu Zheng, watching him carve a path through the mountains and guide the floodwaters across three counties to merge with the Celestial Water River.

Logically, after such a sustained outburst of power, even if Gu Zheng hadn’t completely exhausted his stamina and Divine Wondrous power, he should have been on the verge of collapse and in a weakened state.

Instead, throughout their fierce battle, he showed no signs of his strength or Divine Wondrous power failing. On the contrary, he seemed to be getting stronger the longer they fought.

This was clearly illogical. Something was wrong!

But what?

Was it that bronze-colored skin that had just appeared?

The Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s vertical pupils dilated and contracted as it carefully scanned Gu Zheng, sensing his aura.

Gu Zheng did the same, activating his Eyes of Golden Flame to scan the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon.

This Tier 2 Demon Fiend would be difficult to kill with Barbaric Force alone. A battle of attrition would take far too long.

Probing with his Eyes of Golden Flame, Gu Zheng aimed to find the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s weakness or the source of its energy—its Demon Essence, for example.

If he could destroy its power source, finishing off the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon would be much simpler.

And this scan did indeed reveal something unusual to Gu Zheng.

Under his Eyes of Golden Flame, the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s skeleton and internal organs were mostly visible. In the lower left of its abdomen, there was a cluster of energy fluctuating with particular intensity.

’Its power source?’

Just as the thought crossed Gu Zheng’s mind, the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon he was observing suddenly flashed—first to the left, then to the right, and finally, it burst forward in a charging pounce.

Its sharp claws tore through the air with a terrifying whistle, aiming straight for Gu Zheng’s head.

SWISH~

Gu Zheng ducked, gripping his Celestial Frost Blade tightly in his right hand. He swung it in an upward arc, imbuing it with Sword Intent, and brought it down diagonally toward the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s neck.

He formed his left hand into a claw as his Divine Wondrous power surged wildly, enveloping only his palm.

"CLANG!"

The Celestial Frost Blade struck the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s neck, but the Sword Intent was once again repelled and dissipated by the deep, ink-colored scales.

"SQUELCH!"

His left hand, however, successfully tore through the outer scales on the lower left of the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s abdomen, piercing its body and seizing the abnormally fluctuating energy cluster.

"You..."

The Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s vertical pupils constricted, terror flooding its eyes.

POP!

A sound like a cracking egg came from the lower left of the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s abdomen, and a wave of leaking energy instantly gushed out.

The Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s aura rapidly weakened.

Its neck, which had been blocking the Celestial Frost Blade, sagged to the side. Its massive body slumped diagonally, toppling to the ground and rolling several times in a sandy pit.

WHOOSH!

Gu Zheng, one hand holding his blade and the other wreathed in the Steel Claw Demon Techniques, charged forward at top speed. He caught up to the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon and engaged it in close-quarters combat once more.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH!

The Celestial Frost Blade hacked at the cyan scales, creating a shower of sparks but also leaving a series of wounds.

The Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s defenses had been broken!

The scales, which moments ago had been as hard as a Spiritual Soldier, now seemed to have lost their vitality. They could no longer block the Celestial Frost Blade’s strikes.

The only exception was that single deep, ink-colored scale, which remained indestructible and impervious to his Sword Intent.

"SPURT~"

"SQUELCH!"

Greenish Demon Blood sprayed through the air. With his blade in one hand and his steel claw in the other, Gu Zheng attacked. His blade strikes on vital points were blocked by the ink-colored scale, but his steel claw continuously tore through the scales on the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s chest, ripping open bloody holes.

The Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon retreated again and again.

Although it tried to counterattack, its sharp claws could only leave scratches on his Silver Moon Armor, unable to pierce it as its long tail had done moments before.

Its offense and defense both weakened, the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon began to panic and consciously tried to flee.

However, whether it could run or not was up to Gu Zheng.

Ignoring its attacks, Gu Zheng stuck close to the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon, unleashing a frenzied barrage of slashes and tears.

Finally, with a sharp SNAP, his steel claw pierced the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s neck, grabbed its spine—the great dragon bone—and crushed it.

The Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon instantly stopped moving, its body stiffening. Terror and a plea for mercy filled its vertical pupils.

SHING!

"SPURT!"

A flash of the blade, and its hideous head separated from its neck, flying high into the air.

Before the head could land, Gu Zheng continued swinging his blade mid-air, dicing it a dozen more times. Only after he had chopped the grotesque head into dozens of pieces, ignited them with his Fire Demon Techniques, and watched them burn fiercely did he take a few steps back.

Spirit Capturing!

[Demon Points +19]

[Demon Points +30]

’The Bloodshed and Demon Essence... they’re still there?’

"Then what was that energy cluster I just crushed?"

Gu Zheng murmured to himself but didn’t dwell on it.

He swung his Celestial Frost Blade and dug the palm-sized, ink-colored scale out of the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s corpse.

Even after being detached from the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s body, the incredibly hard scale showed no change.

"It can dissipate Sword Intent..."

"Could this thing also resist spiritual or mental attacks?"

If so, this was a huge score.

Gu Zheng controlled the flow of his Divine Wondrous power to wash the ink-colored scale three times before tucking it away on his person.

Deactivating his Bronze Elephant Body, he reached out and lifted the headless corpse of the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon—its energy drained, its vitality greatly diminished—and started walking back toward the shore.

Just then, the five men—Chen Donghe, Tang Jingtiao, and Liang Tianpeng among them—cautiously approached from the shore.

As they met him head-on, the five men immediately saw the body of the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon. Their eyes lit up, and their faces shone with excitement.

"It’s dead! The Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon is dead! Lord Gu is mighty!"

"Lord Gu is incredible!"

"I told you Lord Gu could slay the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon, didn’t I? Well? You see it now, don’t you!"

"..."

The five men—Chen Donghe, Lv Yan, and Xu Heng included—shouted with joy, thanking Gu Zheng one after another.

"It was a lucky win, that’s all."

Gu Zheng said casually as he placed the Tier 2 Cyan Scale Demon’s corpse on the ground. "If you want this corpse, take it. If not, set it on fire and burn it."

"I have to get back to Wulong Mansion, so I’ll be taking my leave. Farewell!"

"We wish you a safe journey, my lord!"

The five men, including Liang Tianpeng, Xu Heng, and Tang Jingtiao, quickly clasped their fists in salute, watching as Gu Zheng leaped into the air and flew east.

...

...

Gu Zheng hurried back to Wulong Mansion, worried that another Demon Fiend on the level of the Meatball Demon Fiend might appear in Wulong.

With the combined strength of Zhang Ning, Tao Liu, and An Xiaoxue, an encounter with a Tier 2 Demon Fiend would still mean certain death.

Even against a late-stage Tier 1, it would be a battle of mutual destruction, and the odds of the three of them dying would still be higher.

However, it seemed his luck wasn’t that bad.

It was rare for a Tier 2 Demon Fiend to be on the loose.

Gu Zheng flew all the way back. When he found Zhang Ning and the other two, none of them were seriously injured, though Tao Liu had a broken bone in his left arm.

"We’ve cleared out most of the Demon Fiends. The threat has been minimized."

"The problem now is that the people in the county towns of Xiongying, Bamen, and Shuanghe all want to relocate."

An Xiaoxue looked exhausted. She sighed and said, "But how to move them, and where to move them to, that’s another problem."

After speaking, she stared at Gu Zheng without blinking.

Zhang Ning and Tao Liu also looked at Gu Zheng with intense, expectant eyes.