Six-Winged Centipede

Chen Yulou was alarmed by what he heard. Who would have thought such a venomous creature lurked in this underground palace? It seemed that without Lu Yan's Antidote Pills, Xieling would have suffered a crushing defeat this time.

Lu Yan and Chen Yulou both had excellent eyesight. Standing at the edge of the hole, they could see the enormous swarm of centipedes, not yet fully dispersed, writhing in a densely tangled mass. The sight was truly unnerving.

Lu Yan was quite interested in the centipedes' venom. He used Mage Hand to draw a few over from a distance, examining their vivid red pincers and the faint black aura around their bodies.

"These aren't ordinary creatures."

Lu Yan smiled with interest, caught a few more, and put them all into the Kamui Dimension.

By now, Xieling's main force had begun to descend in groups, gathering near Chen Yulou to await his orders.

Looking at his capable men, Chen Yulou nodded in satisfaction. "There are poisonous centipedes in the underground palace. Make sure you all have your Antidote Pills."

"Move out!"

"Yes, sir!"

Dozens of Xieling's best men answered in unison, then began climbing down the bamboo ladders in an orderly fashion.

As soon as a few scouts reached the hall, the pigeons tied at their waists seemed to sense some danger and began flapping frantically.

Everyone already knew there were poisonous centipedes below, so they didn't panic. Instead, they familiarized themselves with the surroundings.

Lu Yan glanced at Chen Yulou from above and smiled. "Brother Chen, want me to take you down?"

"No need. I'll climb down myself."

Chen Yulou shook his head, his face pale. He was afraid Lu Yan would play another trick on him.

Lu Yan shook his head and leaped down, drifting into the underground palace as lightly as a willow in the breeze.

Chen Yulou held Little Divine Blade in a reverse grip and climbed down the bamboo ladder with his men. Seeing the armor and spears around them but no coffins, he realized this must be a side hall.

Lu Yan glanced around and quickly lost interest. He had plenty of ways to make money, and in his eyes, even the poisonous centipedes were more valuable than these burial objects.

Just as Chen Yulou was about to search carefully for mechanisms, a rustling sound began to echo through the underground palace.

Chen Yulou reacted at once and ordered his men to raise their lamps. They saw countless centipedes with vivid red markings crawling out through the gaps in the rafters. Clear slime dripped from their pincers as they lunged hungrily toward people, but the strange fragrance of the Antidote Pills held them back.

"Chief, what do we do?"

Seeing the densely packed, hideous venomous insects, the Xieling men felt their hearts tremble. They turned to Chen Yulou.

Chen Yulou glanced at Lu Yan and ordered in a low voice, "Spread lime first. Keep your Antidote Pills close and continue searching."

"Yes, sir!"

The Xieling men had always followed Chen Yulou's lead. They answered in unison and, steeling themselves, advanced toward the poisonous creatures.

But whenever the Xieling men took a step forward, the centipedes retreated a step. They didn't dare approach.

That emboldened the men. They strode right into the middle of the swarm, scattering handfuls of lime in every direction.

Chen Yulou inspected the area and found no mechanisms. Instead, he spotted a passage leading out of the side hall, so he ordered, "All right. Don't touch anything for now. A few of you, go scout ahead."

Then Chen Yulou walked over to Lu Yan, who stood with his hands behind his back, and smiled. "Brother Lu, want to come take a look?"

"Sure."

Lu Yan nodded, and he and Chen Yulou headed toward the passage.

The passage wasn't narrow; two people could walk abreast. But countless tiny white specks floated near the ceiling, bobbing up and down in the breeze stirred by the group.

Lu Yan hadn't seen this part of the story, but his Sharingan could see every detail. He clearly made out that the white specks were centipede eggs. If they got into someone's body, the consequences would be disastrous. He called for everyone to stop.

"Brother Lu, what is it?"

Knowing there had to be a reason, Chen Yulou turned and asked.

"Those white specks floating above us are centipede eggs."

Lu Yan gestured toward the ceiling of the passage, stepped to the front of the group, formed a hand seal, and raised his hand.

A fierce wind sprang up out of nowhere in the passage. But this wind was strange: it gathered into a single current, collecting every centipede egg in midair above Lu Yan's palm. Gradually, they formed a white ball.

"Now I've got plenty."

Lu Yan smiled at the white ball and tossed it straight into the Kamui Dimension.

"All right, we can go."

Lu Yan waved to the others and led the way forward.

Beyond the passage, several magnificent halls came into view. Their roofs soared high, with densely packed flying eaves and interlocking brackets. Inside and out, lamps shone brightly; hall after hall stretched as far as the eye could see, their golden bricks and green tiles gleaming in splendor.

The grandest hall stood in the center. Above its entrance, three ancient characters read "Immeasurable Hall." Surrounded by an ethereal haze, it truly looked like an immortal palace.

Following behind Lu Yan, Chen Yulou marveled as he explained, "The mountainside chamber within Bottle Mountain is a true geomantic treasure. Its vital energy flows endlessly, keeping the ancient objects hidden inside as good as new."

"This palace is remarkable too. The Ten-Thousand Year Candles and Glazed Lamps between its pavilions and halls are arranged according to the constellations. The layout is intricate but orderly, and the whole place has an imposing air. It's truly an abode fit for immortals."

Lu Yan had no interest in listening to him wax lyrical. He strode straight to the stone bridge in front of the Immeasurable Hall and looked down at the dried-up pool.

Through Lu Yan's Sharingan, he could see faint black auras lingering wherever the Six-Winged Centipede had recently crawled. The dried-up pool was wreathed in an especially dense black aura. The Six-Winged Centipede was undoubtedly in there.

"Brother Lu, what is it?"

Chen Yulou knew Lu Yan possessed an unusual eye technique that let him see things others couldn't, so he paid close attention to his every move.

"There's a demonic aura rising to the heavens. Something is down there."

Lu Yan got straight to the point.

Chen Yulou's eyes widened slightly. Seeing Lu Yan's calm expression, he asked tentatively, "You mean...?"

"Have your men throw lime and Vermilion into the pool to drive it out."

"When it comes out, I'll handle it. Everyone else, move away."

Lu Yan turned to look at Chen Yulou, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan glowing a vivid scarlet.

"All right. Men, throw it in!"

Chen Yulou nodded and signaled the Xieling men to get to work.

In an instant, great quantities of lime and Vermilion poured into the dried-up pool, disturbing the Six-Winged Centipede sleeping at the bottom.

The lime and Vermilion couldn't hurt a creature as powerful as the Six-Winged Centipede, but they irritated it. It let out an angry roar and beat its wings as it rose.

"It's coming!"

Lu Yan stared fixedly at the mouth of the pool, holding Ebony and Ivory. Chen Yulou stood beside him with Little Divine Blade in hand, while the rest of the Xieling men had already retreated into the distance.

In the space of a breath, the Six-Winged Centipede clung beneath the bridge. It arched its body and suddenly thrust itself over the railing. A hundred claws writhed beneath its yellow-brown belly, making it a truly horrifying sight.

"The Six-Winged Centipede!"

Chen Yulou's face went pale with shock. Centipedes were usually dated by counting their legs, but this one had so many that its legs couldn't be counted. It even had six wings on its back. It had to have become a monster long ago.

"Wind Blast Bullet!"

Seeing the Six-Winged Centipede tense to pounce, Lu Yan narrowed his eyes slightly and raised Ivory, firing repeatedly at its belly.