I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 76 - 70: He’s Really from My Qing King Family!?
"Gu, you’re here."
Yuan Qianjun spoke first, then pointed to an area less than thirty meters past the entrance—a vast swamp that stretched as far as the eye could see. Frowning, he said, "There’s a nest of Terrain Monsters hiding in this swamp. We don’t know how many, but every one of them is at least mid-First Order, maybe even late-First Order. They’re incredibly powerful and can use the Earth Manipulation Demon Technique."
"That Demon Technique allows them to control the mud and soil, whipping it into the air like a storm to blur your vision and disrupt your senses."
"...So you’re all just stuck here?" Gu Zheng arched a brow. "No one’s willing to take the lead? You don’t want to work together to force your way through?"
"It’s not that we don’t want to," Qing Yixiao interjected. "We’re just afraid of getting trapped by the Terrain Monsters and dying for nothing, only for others to reap the rewards. The tentacles of the Terrain Monsters are incredibly tough and slick. Ordinary Spiritual Soldiers can’t even break or sever them."
"So you’re just going to wait it out?" Gu Zheng pressed. "What about the Source Fruits and Marvels? You’re just giving up on them?"
"We’ll wait."
Yuan Qianjun shrugged. "Right now, it’s a contest of patience. Everyone’s waiting to see who can’t take it anymore and rushes in first to clear a path for the rest."
Unbelievable.
Gu Zheng was speechless.
His gaze shifted to the vast, mist-covered lake surrounding the island. "Can’t we go in through the water?" he asked, puzzled.
"I wouldn’t recommend it."
A man standing beside Yuan Qianjun, who had a crossed mark on his forehead, picked up the conversation. "When the overlapping Domain expands, the fog-shrouded areas are the most unstable. Not only is the Power of Rules chaotic there, but it also possesses a terrifying spatial shredding force. Even someone at the Heroic Body Realm could perish."
"Thank you for the clarification!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Zheng cupped his fist in a salute to the man.
"This is Xiao Dutian of the Xiao Family, from the Divine Weapon Lineage," Yuan Qianjun introduced them.
He then pointed to the white-haired woman beside Qing Yimei and said, "And this is Miss Dugu Feixue, from the Winter King’s family."
"Xiao, Miss Dugu." Gu Zheng saluted each of them in turn.
"You’re too kind, Commander Gu." Xiao Dutian returned the salute with a smile.
Dugu Feixue also nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.
"The Domain is already open, and Demon Fiends could rush out at any moment. I can understand why none of you want to pave the way for others. But after seven days, this Domain will transform into a permanent channel, and Daping County will be doomed."
Meeting their gazes, Gu Zheng spoke with solemnity. "I may not be the most qualified, but I intend to venture into the depths of the Domain, find the Rule Array Hub, and destroy it. Therefore, I am willing to clear the path for all of you and break through this swamp!"
Without waiting for a reaction, he pushed off, crossed the threshold, and charged into the swamp.
Destroying the Rule Array Hub before the Domain transformed into a permanent channel was, indeed, Gu Zheng’s true intention.
But beyond that, Gu Zheng had another idea.
’I’ll slay the Terrain Monsters and earn Demon Points!’
Having killed so many Demon Fiends, Gu Zheng had discovered something long ago.
The higher the level of a Demon Fiend, the more Demon Points he would gain when absorbing and converting the Bloodshed within their bodies.
The weakest Terrain Monsters were mid-First Order, which guaranteed at least 4 Demon Points each.
The others could worry about this and that.
To Gu Zheng, however, these Terrain Monsters were simply Demon Points for the taking!
As for the Terrain Monsters’ Demon Technique disrupting one’s senses, that only worked on those with an insufficiently strong Spirit.
By unlocking his Bronze Elephant Body and bolstering his own Spirit, Gu Zheng was confident he wouldn’t be fooled!
WHOOSH~
He covered the thirty meters in a flash.
Gu Zheng drew his blade and dashed at top speed across the swamp’s surface.
"PLOP!"
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH~
Grayish-black tentacles, each as thick as a thigh, suddenly erupted from beneath the swamp, striking at Gu Zheng with lightning speed.
Ten tentacles shot out at once from all sides, completely encircling Gu Zheng.
As wet muck flew through the air, a thick, foul stench assaulted Gu Zheng’s nose and mouth, blurring his vision.
HUM!
Gu Zheng’s skin turned bronze as he unlocked 30% of his Bronze Elephant Body.
His Strength, Spirit, and Constitution were instantly bolstered. He remained calm as a Divine Wondrous energy surged through him. With a twist of his waist, he swung his Celestial Frost Blade, which traced a thread-thin arc of light.
"SHLIIICK~"
Frenzy Battle Saber Technique—Single Slash!
The impossibly fast Sword Gang circled Gu Zheng’s body in a perfect arc, tearing through the Powerful Qi and the air itself to cleanly sever all ten tentacles that surrounded him.
SHING!
Without pausing, the line of Sword Gang plunged down into the swamp.
Hiding in the muck, the octopus-like Terrain Monster had only just sensed the danger when its hideous head and bloated body were split in two.
Spirit Capturing!
[Demon Points +5]
Just like that!
WHOOSH~
First strike successful, Gu Zheng brandished his blade and continued to press forward.
...
「Outside the entrance.」
Yuan Qianjun, Qing Yixiao, Qing Yimei, Xiao Dutian, Dugu Feixue, and everyone else stared, dumbfounded.
"Which family does this fool belong to?"
"Who cares what family he’s from? As long as he’s willing to step up and clear the way for us, he’s a good man in my book! Hahaha!"
"Exactly. The guy’s too decent for his own good. Let’s hope he’s strong enough. It’d be a shame if the Terrain Monsters dragged him into the swamp and devoured him whole, leaving not even a bone behind."
"Hahaha..."
After a moment of stunned silence, the crowd erupted in laughter.
"This Commander Gu, he..."
Xiao Dutian opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed his words.
"A bit of a do-gooder, right?"
Yuan Qianjun picked up the conversation with a smile. "That’s just Gu. I’m not the least bit surprised he was the first to charge in."
Before Xiao Dutian or Qing Yixiao could speak, he continued, "Before Gu joined the Demon Slayer Bureau, he was a Chief Constable in his hometown county. A dedicated, responsible Chief Constable who put the safety of the common people above all else!"
"He only arrived here today, a full day late. Do you know why? I’d bet it’s because he was busy moving the people from the outlying areas of Daping County into the main city."
"To us, this Domain is just a land of opportunity. But to him, it’s not just an opportunity, it’s also a source of disaster!"
"Compared to any benefits he could gain from this Domain, Gu would much rather destroy the Rule Array Hub and make the whole thing disappear!"
"You can call him overly righteous, pedantic, even stubborn. But you can’t deny that he possesses a virtue that many people lack. It’s a powerful form of charisma!"
"..." Xiao Dutian was silent.
Qing Yixiao, Qing Yimei, and Dugu Feixue also fell silent.
As noble youths, they all possessed a certain innate arrogance.
They never gave a second thought to the common folk, caring little whether they lived or died.
But they hadn’t lost their sense of reason or their basic principles.
They weren’t like certain other noble youths, who saw no difference between the common people and livestock.
Because of this, they couldn’t understand Gu Zheng’s actions, much less relate to them.
But that didn’t stop them from admiring Gu Zheng.
They especially admired his strength. He was at the peak of the Alien Body stage and had cultivated a Lower Grade True Skill, a Saber Technique, to the level of True Mastery.
"No wonder you’ve always praised him so highly."
Xiao Dutian came back to his senses and looked at Yuan Qianjun, sighing with admiration.
"For someone like him to be a long-lost member of my Qing King Family... Huh?"
Qing Yixiao was about to chime in when his eyes suddenly shot wide. He stared across the hundred meters at Gu Zheng, who was in the middle of battling the Terrain Monsters, and exclaimed, "A bronze arm!? He really is from my Qing King Family!?"
