I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 82 - 76: Being Tailed?
"A pity the Storage Leaf can only hold inanimate objects."
Gu Zheng sighed, drew his blade, and dug out the entire ant nest.
He then found a few wide leaves, wove them into a basket, placed the ant nest inside, and carried it by hand.
He continued along the mountainside, heading deeper in.
Along the way, miasma, poisonous fumes, and Death Qi were frequently seen.
However, he didn’t encounter any Demon Fiends.
Overall, this region integrated into the Domain was mostly wetlands and tidal flats.
The Demon Fiends were primarily aquatic, either hiding in the mud or submerged in the water.
The muddy ground was difficult to walk on, and he certainly wouldn’t tread carelessly into the water.
As a result, he encountered very few Demon Fiends along his path.
Gu Zheng wasn’t in a hurry.
The key was to find Marvels, Magic Gold, and Source Fruits within the Domain.
Slaying Demon Fiends was just a secondary objective.
If he could find any equippable items, that would be even better.
Walking across the empty wilderness, not a single person was in sight, but the chirping of insects and birds was endless.
In the distant sky, massive birds with four- to five-meter wingspans rode powerful gales, diving to the ground to snatch prey from the mud and water before soaring high again.
As Gu Zheng walked on the gravelly ground, he suddenly turned to look behind him.
’Nothing?’
Focusing his Spirit, he pushed his Shadow ability to its limits but found no one tailing him.
Ever since discovering the Spirit-Eating Ants, Gu Zheng had sensed a mysterious presence following him.
But he just couldn’t find or see it.
VMMMM!
With his Bronze Elephant Body fully unlocked and empowered by his Spiritual Power, a vast Power of Perception swept out for several hundred zhang around him.
Still, he found nothing.
No, to be precise, he hadn’t managed to pinpoint the mysterious presence tailing him.
There were still quite a few minor Demon Fiends underground and in corners.
However, these minor Demon Fiends offered limited Bloodshed, and they would all flee before Gu Zheng could even get close.
Demon Fiends are savage and bloodthirsty, but they also feel fear.
Given Gu Zheng’s current peak Alien Body Life Qi, low-level Demon Fiends didn’t dare approach him, let alone attack.
’Physical invisibility, and its aura is concealed too? And it’s tiny?’
Turning back around, Gu Zheng picked up the Spirit-Eating Ant Nest and continued walking.
Although the mysterious presence had been following him the whole time, it hadn’t revealed the slightest hint of malice.
This was why Gu Zheng, despite his curiosity, hadn’t panicked and leaped into the air to glide away.
And so, the tailing continued for two days.
During those two days, Gu Zheng harvested another six Source Fruits.
He found no Magic Gold or Marvels, however.
He casually slew over a dozen Demon Fiends, gaining 21 Demon Points through Spirit Capturing.
The number was too small, so naturally, there were no Demon Techniques.
The mysterious presence tailing him would occasionally disappear for a while before resuming its pursuit.
Gu Zheng was almost used to its presence.
The Domain’s coverage was vast, and he still hadn’t found the Rule Array Hub.
He hadn’t run into Yuan Qianjun or Qing Yixiao again either.
Similarly, he hadn’t encountered the Hai Qingshu siblings again.
He did see other people a few times, though.
In particular, there was a group of three men and one woman in black robes that concealed their faces and figures; Gu Zheng had run into them three times in two days.
BOOM!
A massive explosion echoed from several hundred meters ahead and to his right.
Gu Zheng, who was walking on a mountain path, immediately pushed off his toes, leaped into the air, and landed on the summit.
Standing on the ridge, he gazed toward the source of the sound.
He saw four figures moving swiftly and clashing continuously on the bank of a winding river more than three meters wide.
Two of the figures were wreathed in gray streams of light, while another was purple, and the last was silvery-white.
All four of them were at the Alien Body: Shadow level of power.
They attacked without restraint, and the resulting shockwaves swept across the muddy riverbank, sending sludge flying everywhere.
The flowing river water was also frequently churned up by the Powerful Qi, spiraling into the air and falling like a fine rain.
’Xiao Dutian? Dugu Feixue?’
Gu Zheng’s sword-like brows arched slightly.
Of the four people, the one wreathed in purple lightning was indeed Xiao Dutian, and the one enveloped in silvery-white light was Dugu Feixue.
As for the other two, Gu Zheng had even seen them before. Two days ago, while he was searching for Magic Gold in a ravine, they had passed by and mocked him, calling him a fool.
Among the four, Xiao Dutian and Dugu Feixue were clearly on the same side, but the other two were coordinating their attacks with exquisite precision, as if they shared one mind.
’Hm? They’re here too?’
While observing, Gu Zheng noticed that the four black-robed men and woman were also nearby, watching the battle between Xiao Dutian, Dugu Feixue, and the other two.
As Gu Zheng looked over, the four of them seemed to sense it and looked back. Upon seeing it was Gu Zheng, they were startled for a moment, then gathered together and muttered a few words.
The next moment, the four of them actually flew toward Gu Zheng.
SWISH! SWISH!
Their feet never touching the ground, they used a Body Technique True Skill to drift to the other side of the ridge, stopping ten paces from Gu Zheng.
The four of them cupped their fists in a salute to Gu Zheng.
’?’
"Commander Gu." An aged voice spoke. The four lowered their hoods, revealing their faces. The oldest among them, a man with a wrinkled face, bowed to Gu Zheng and said, "This old man is Zheng Xiting. I am not a member of a Noble Family, nor do I serve the imperial court. After hearing of your character, Commander Gu, I have long been in admiration. That we should meet again today, this old man feels it is a mark of destiny. I would like to befriend you, Commander Gu. I wonder if you would be willing?"
"I am He Zheng."
"I am Yang Shouyun."
"I am Jin Yanzi." The only woman among the four, Jin Yanzi, whose face was gentle and who appeared to be in her thirties, added with a mild smile, "Commander Gu, you must have many questions you wish to ask right now, but I’m very sorry, we cannot reveal our identities at this time."
"Our desire to befriend you is not a sudden whim; we have wished for it for some time. However, we lacked the opportunity to approach you. We are being frank with you today to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings."
"We also hope, Commander Gu, that you will be mentally prepared."
"..." Gu Zheng’s expression was calm. His gaze swept over their faces one by one before he suddenly pointed at the four-person battle with Xiao Dutian and Dugu Feixue. "What are they fighting over?" he asked.
"Ah?"
Jin Yanzi was taken aback.
He Zheng and Yang Shouyun were also stunned.
Zheng Xiting was the quickest to react. He gave a wry smile and cupped his fists. "They are fighting over a Marvel."
"What kind of Marvel?" Gu Zheng pressed.
He completely ignored what the four had just said.
’Befriend me, but not tell me their identities?’
’And they’re telling me to be mentally prepared first.’
’What kind of way is this to make friends?’
Acting all mysterious—Gu Zheng wasn’t going to play along.
"...It’s a Wooden Fish."
Zheng Xiting collected himself and answered, "A literal one. A fish made of wood, about the size of a palm. It can swim in water and at low altitudes, but its specific abilities are currently unknown."
"Are you talking about that fish?"
Gu Zheng pointed behind the four of them, to the top of a tree less than ten meters to their right. There, a palm-sized, greenish-brown Wooden Fish that resembled a carp lay among the leaves, blowing transparent bubbles.
Hmm??
Hearing this, Zheng Xiting, Jin Yanzi, He Zheng, and Yang Shouyun all snapped their heads around in unison to look.
"That’s it!"
Zheng Xiting was aghast. "But didn’t Mo Jiaxin snatch that Wooden Fish from Dugu Feixue and hide it in his Spiritual Object Pouch? How can it be here?"
"I’d also like to... huh?" Gu Zheng was just about to raise an eyebrow.
WHOOSH!
An afterimage flashed past.
The Wooden Fish in the treetop was caught by a small figure and pinned under its claw.
SWOOSH~
The afterimage flashed again.
The small figure, clutching the Wooden Fish, appeared before Gu Zheng.
One of its claws pointed at the Spirit-Eating Ant Nest in Gu Zheng’s hand, while the other pushed the captured Wooden Fish toward him.
Its lively, azure eyes conveyed a single message.
Wanna trade?
