I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 43 - 37: Demon Extermination

The Demon Suppression Guards were, of course, issued sabers.

Standard-issue battle blades, mass-produced by the Demon Slayer Bureau. Every guard had one.

In terms of quality, they would have been considered Divine Weapons in the past.

After Gu Zheng was assigned his, he tested it and found it inferior to the Celestial Frost Blade.

So, he put the issued saber into his storage leaf and carried the Celestial Frost Blade instead.

Who would have thought that not only would the Celestial Frost Blade fail to cut through the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon’s claws, but it would actually be shattered by them?

If the Celestial Frost Blade couldn’t stand up to it, the Demon Suppression Guard’s issued saber wouldn’t be able to either.

His Frenzy Battle Saber Technique, at the Great Success Realm, allowed him to fight the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon on even terms.

But without a saber in hand, or with one that wasn’t good enough, how could he possibly fight?

"BOOM—"

As the ground trembled and sent rubble and dust flying, the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon used an explosive burst of power to leap diagonally into the air, pouncing fiercely at Gu Zheng.

WHOOSH!

Gu Zheng dropped down rapidly, dodging the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon’s frontal assault.

He had no intention of using the issued saber in his storage leaf; using it would only end with it shattering as well.

’If I don’t have a saber, worst-case scenario, I’ll just have to reveal my Bronze Elephant Body...’

"Gu, catch!"

A loud shout suddenly rang out.

In the next instant, a long saber wreathed in chilling light and a powerful gale shot through the air from his right, flying swiftly toward him.

TAP!

Gu Zheng tapped his toes, his figure shifting over. While still in mid-air, he caught the long saber, which emanated an exceptionally strong, sharp aura.

The moment his hand closed around the hilt, a different sensation, a feeling that originated from his very soul, suddenly flooded his mind and connected with his Spirit.

"This saber..."

SWISH—

The sound of tearing air came from behind his head.

A violent, baleful Demon Qi, like a striking viper, coiled tightly around him, attempting to engulf Gu Zheng.

"DIE!!"

The Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon’s unearthly voice echoed in all directions.

WHOOSH!

Gu Zheng gripped the long saber, his figure shifting as he shot forward.

Divine Wondrous energy surged into the long saber in his hand, its light retracting inward as it began to trail a faint, continuous ribbon of Saber Qi.

"You can’t escape!"

The Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon shrieked hoarsely as it gave chase.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Fierce winds swept by, kicking up clouds of dust.

Gu Zheng ran ahead, the trail of Saber Qi behind him stretching to thirty zhang, then forty, then fifty... all in the span of a few breaths.

The Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon pursued closely, its own violent aura swelling ever stronger.

As one fled and the other pursued, the battles elsewhere had already concluded.

Tao Liu, Wu Kun, Chen Zhizhen, and An Xiaoxue had fought to the death to kill two Lizard Demons, and all four were wounded. Some sat leaning against a wall, while others lay flat on the ground.

Among them, Wu Kun was in the worst state: a bloody hole in his abdomen faintly revealed his intestines, his left thigh was fractured and a mess of mangled flesh, and more than half of his right shoulder blade was gone, his arm hanging limply.

The thick-browed man and the dark-skinned youth had joined forces to kill one Lizard Demon, and their injuries were relatively light.

Yan Hongxue had slain a Lizard Demon by herself. Uninjured, she was only slightly out of breath. She watched Gu Zheng while quickly recovering her stamina and depleted Divine Wondrous energy, simultaneously remaining vigilant against any other Lizard Demons that might be lurking nearby.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH~ 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Gu Zheng led the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon on a frantic chase through the Zhao Mansion, sometimes rushing onto rooftops, sometimes landing on the ground, sometimes running in circles.

The moment the trailing ribbon of Saber Qi reached a length of one hundred zhang...

"SHIIING—!"

Suddenly, Gu Zheng spun around and unleashed a brilliant slash at the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon pursuing him.

As this slash descended, the burst of its radiance outshone all other light, capturing everyone’s attention.

The hundred-zhang-long ribbon of Saber Qi instantly compressed, condensed, erupted, and detonated, surging forward and outward like a torrential mountain flood—roaring, unstoppable, and pulverizing everything in its path.

Frenzy Battle Saber Technique—Dragging Blade Slash!

"BOOM~~~"

Like a startling thunderclap that shook the heavens, the sound carried for over a dozen li.

The blinding light of the slash illuminated more than half of the Zhao Mansion, engulfing the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon. It extended more than ten zhang beyond the demon, its terrifying destructive power annihilating three walls and piercing through two houses.

The resulting tremor was violent and fierce, like an earthquake, affecting an area with a radius of a hundred zhang.

"ROAR!"

A hoarse, agonized roar pierced the eardrums from within the swirling dust.

One of the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon’s forelimbs, along with a small part of its body, had been severed, and gush after gush of blood flowed out, pooling on the ground.

But the instant it let out that sharp shriek, the heavily wounded Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon turned invisible. Its wound, enveloped in Demon Qi, stopped bleeding and began to heal.

Although the healing was not fast, it was enough for the demon to endure and stave off death for the moment.

Its invisible body began to flee toward the outside of the Zhao Mansion.

SWOOSH!

The sound of wind being torn apart suddenly erupted at extreme speed.

Gu Zheng, who had kept his focus locked on the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon, exploded with his top speed and caught up to it in less than two breaths.

"SHIING—"

The brilliant light of his saber flashed once more, reflecting in the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon’s pupils.

"Get..."

PCHI!

A cold light flashed, and the air was split in two.

Along with it, the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon’s savage head separated from its neck. It fell with a THUD, hit the ground, and rolled twice in the dust.

"Hah... hah..."

Exhausted, Gu Zheng flopped onto the ground, panting heavily. He planted the long saber upright in the dirt beside him.

He took out an Elixir, popped it into his mouth, and swallowed. As he circulated his energy to digest it, he faced the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon’s corpse and used Spirit Capturing!

[Demon Points +8]

’Not bad.’

’As for the equipment slot, the extracted Bloodshed needs to be replenished before I can obtain a Demon Technique.’

’All I can say is that the Lizard Demon clan is not only strong and intelligent, but also difficult to obtain abilities from.’

This was the most arduous battle Gu Zheng had fought since he began slaying demons.

The Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon’s strength was greater than, not weaker than, Yan Hongxue’s.

Gu Zheng had exhausted his Divine Wondrous energy, and most of his stamina was gone as well.

Of course, the rewards were also significant.

After this practical combat experience, Gu Zheng had completely grasped the profound mysteries of the Frenzy Battle Saber Technique.

He was now just half a step away from Saber Technique Perfection.

In terms of Demon Points, this had saved him 8 to 9 points.

Huu... huu...

Hot steam rose and slowly spiraled around his body.

The Elixir entered his stomach, and 100% Absorption activated, rapidly converting it into Divine Wondrous energy.

The elixir was a First-Turn Anomalous Pill, one that Gu Zheng had specifically exchanged for before leaving the Demon Slayer Bureau.

"CRACK—"

The sound of shattering bowls and chopsticks rang out.

Gu Zheng whipped his head around, looking toward the source of the sound.

"It’s us!"

The thick-browed man and the dark-skinned youth waved and called out to Gu Zheng.

"Gu, are you all right?"

Zhang Boshong said softly as he surveyed the surrounding ruins.

"There were only five of these Lizard Demons, and now they’re all dead," Zhang Ning added. "The one you killed was the strongest, Gu. It’s a good thing your Frenzy Battle Saber Technique has reached Great Success. Otherwise, we really wouldn’t have been able to take it down."

"...That’s not necessarily true."

Having absorbed the Elixir’s energy, Gu Zheng stopped circulating his own and slowly stood up. "Yan Tou’s strength is more than enough to slay this Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon."

"Heh, you’re being too modest, Gu."

Zhang Ning smiled. "Based on my understanding of Yan Hongxue, the best she could do is fight it to a draw."

"Is that so."

Gu Zheng replied, then picked up the jet-black long saber planted beside him and tossed it back to Zhang Boshong.

"Zhang, here’s your saber back."

After a pause, Gu Zheng asked, "Zhang, this saber of yours is..."

"Just a Half-Spiritual Soldier."