I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 85 - 79: He Can’t Possibly Succeed

Beneath the dim sky.

A fetid swamp, pockmarked with craters, shrouded in miasma, and littered with scattered white bones, stretched out at the edge of the wilderness, extending endlessly to the left and right.

And less than three hundred meters from the edge of the wilderness, a mountain—mostly pitch-black save for its vibrantly colorful peak—jutted out from the mire.

The entire peak was steep and sharp, rising over five hundred meters high like the blade of a sword thrusting into the heavens.

Ancient, vast, and chillingly cold, yet also blazing hot.

The heat came from below the colorful peak, where terrifying, ferocious Demon Fiends that looked as if they were on fire patrolled the mountain path.

Each Demon Fiend resembled a ball of fire, and even from three hundred meters away, one could feel the scorching heat and the burning threat.

Gu Zheng’s gaze, however, was locked onto the colorful mountaintop.

After staring at the peak for a moment, a piece of information automatically surfaced in his mind.

Rule Array Hub!

The summit of this Sword Peak Mountain was actually the location of the Thousand Star Lake Domain’s Rule Array Hub.

It was just sitting there atop Sword Peak Mountain, visible to anyone who came near.

No one could hide it, and nothing could conceal it!

With a Rule Array Hub like this, no wonder Xiao Dutian was so willing to reveal its location.

"Hooo..."

Gu Zheng regulated his Inner Breath, exhaled a cloud of foul air, and his slowly descending form came to a stop on the wilderness ground.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The sound of tearing wind came from behind him as Xiao Dutian, Dugu Feixue, Jin Yanzi, Yang Shouyun, He Zheng, and the others all followed.

Of course, the fastest was Pang Hu. With the Wooden Fish in its mouth, it leaped to Gu Zheng’s side, its azure eyes glancing at Sword Peak Mountain in the swamp before letting out a muffled "whuff."

"The... The summit is the Rule Array Hub?"

"This Rule Array Hub is huge! How are we supposed to destroy it?"

"And Purgatory Bone Demons! Look at those Demon Fiends on the mountain—they’re all Purgatory Bone Demons!"

"..."

Yang Shouyun, Zheng Xiting, Jin Yanzi, and He Zheng cried out in shock and astonishment.

Xiao Dutian and Dugu Feixue, having been here before, remained calm.

"Gu, this Sword Peak Mountain has a restrictive ward formed by the residual Power of Space. If you want to ascend, you can only do it by walking up from the base step by step."

Xiao Dutian looked at Gu Zheng and reminded him, "You can’t get close to the summit by flying through the air."

"No matter."

Gu Zheng handed the Spirit-Eating Ant Nest he was carrying to Zheng Xiting. "Elder Zheng, could you please hold this for me?"

"Of course." Zheng Xiting took it readily, his wrinkled old face filled with excitement. "Commander Gu, just go all out. If you need help, just give a shout. The four of us may be limited in strength and can’t help much, but we can still block a few Tier 1 Purgatory Bone Demons to buy you some time."

"Alright, I’ll call if I need to," Gu Zheng said. With a tap of his toes, he leaped into the air.

WHOOSH!

He broke through layers of powerful wind, the putrid stench of decay filling the air.

SWOOSH!

He leaped straight across the three-hundred-meter gap, heading for the colorful summit.

BUZZ!

Just as he neared Sword Peak Mountain, an invisible force blocked his approach.

The harder he pushed forward, the stronger the resistance became.

"BANG!"

A muffled bang echoed in the air, exploding in a wave of Qi.

Gu Zheng somersaulted backward, leaping back through the air to land on the swampy ground.

’So it’s true, you can’t approach Sword Peak Mountain from the air.’

Having tested and experienced this power, Gu Zheng landed, unsheathed his Celestial Frost Blade, and channeled his Divine Wondrous energy. Sticking close to the mud and mire, he charged forward at extreme speed.

He covered the three hundred meters in the blink of an eye.

"ROAR!"

A group of two-meter-tall white Purgatory Bone Demons was walking past the base of the mountain. Upon seeing Gu Zheng, their ferocious faces—skulls with most of the bone exposed and only some flesh remaining—and terrifying bodies began to emit wisps of black-red flames from within.

"HAH!"

With a hoarse battle cry, all the white Purgatory Bone Demons brandished their Bone Blades and charged at Gu Zheng.

A magma-like aura, thick with scorching heat, filled the surroundings and instantly enveloped Gu Zheng, making it feel as if he had been plunged into a boiling soup.

CHIIII!

A flash of light from his blade suddenly flared.

Like a single line, it sliced through the air, carving a graceful arc in the void.

"THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!"

A continuous wave of Sword Gang swept past all the white Purgatory Bone Demons, cutting each one in two.

"CRASH!"

The sound of cracking bones mixed with enraged roars as the bisected white Purgatory Bone Demons fell onto the mountain path. But they weren’t dead; not a single one had died.

’Purgatory Bone Demons... bones?’

Gu Zheng raised a brow, his gaze sweeping over the skulls of each white Purgatory Bone Demon.

The next instant—

"SHING!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The Sword Gang, so fast it became a blur, locked onto the head of each white Purgatory Bone Demon, shattering their skulls one by one until they completely exploded.

With each explosion, another white Purgatory Bone Demon completely fell apart.

Spirit Capturing!

[Demon Points +1]

[Demon Points +1]

...

The absorbed Demon Points from one white Purgatory Bone Demon only provided a single point.

Gu Zheng wasn’t discouraged.

After finishing off the group of white Purgatory Bone Demons, he rushed quickly up the mountain path.

WHOOSH!

SWISH! SWISH!

The mountain wind rushed against his face, but it carried a searing, scorched scent.

He had advanced less than thirty meters when another group of more than a dozen white Purgatory Bone Demons appeared ahead.

"ROAR!"

SHING!

Gu Zheng tapped his toes and shot forward. The Celestial Frost Blade in his hand glowed, trailing a long, continuous ribbon of Sword Qi behind him.

As he neared the white Purgatory Bone Demons, he swung his blade.

Frenzy Battle Blade Technique: Dragging Slash!

"BOOM—"

RUMBLE!

The mountain path trembled as a ball of violent, Powerful Qi exploded. The shockwave swept out, sending bone fragments flying into the air.

Spirit Capturing!

[Demon Points +1]

[Demon Points +1]

...

Pausing briefly, he absorbed a dozen or so Demon Points.

Gu Zheng raised his blade and continued charging up the mountain path.

...

...

"He’ll never succeed."

At the edge of the wilderness, the group watched Gu Zheng’s actions from afar. Dugu Feixue suddenly spoke up, "The Purgatory Bone Demons at the base of the mountain are just White Bone Demons, barely Tier 1. The true Tier 1 Purgatory Bone Demons are the black Iron Bone ones. The body of every Iron Bone Purgatory Bone Demon is comparable to a Lower-Grade Spiritual Soldier. That blade in his hand is also a Lower-Grade Spiritual Soldier, but how long can it last?"

"Are you saying that once Commander Gu’s Spiritual Soldier shatters, it’ll be impossible for him to advance further?" Jin Yanzi interjected with a smile.

"Isn’t that obvious?" Dugu Feixue turned her head to glance at Jin Yanzi. "Without a Spiritual Soldier, how can he be a match for an Iron Bone Purgatory Bone Demon?"

"Besides, the Purgatory Bone Demons truly guarding Sword Peak Mountain and the Rule Array Hub at the summit are Tier 2 Steel Bone!"

"The body of a Steel Bone Purgatory Bone Demon alone is comparable to a Middle-Grade Spiritual Soldier! What does he have to fight them with?"

"Continuing to charge up is just suicide."

"I see," Jin Yanzi said with a smile. "So, in short, you don’t think Commander Gu can make it to the top, right?"

Dugu Feixue didn’t respond.

But her meaning was perfectly clear.

Indeed, she didn’t.