Six-Winged Centipede

Chen Yulou was shocked to the core; he had never expected such venomous creatures to lurk within the underground palace. It seemed that if not for Brother Lu's Antidote Pill, the Xieling faction would likely have returned in defeat this time.

Lu Yan and Chen Yulou both possessed keen eyesight. Standing at the edge of the pit, they could see a massive swarm of centipedes still writhing together in the shadows, a truly hair-raising sight.

Intrigued by the toxicity of these centipedes, Lu Yan used Mage Hand to snatch a few from the air, observing their vibrant red fangs and the faint black miasma radiating from their bodies.

Not of the mundane world.

Lu Yan smiled with interest, then grabbed several more and deposited them into his Kamui Dimension.

By now, the main force of the Xieling faction had begun to descend, gathering around Chen Yulou to await orders.

Chen Yulou looked over his battle-hardened men and nodded with satisfaction. "There are venomous centipedes in the palace. Everyone, keep your Antidote Pills ready."

"Descend!"

"Yes!"

Dozens of Xieling experts replied in unison, orderly boarding the bamboo ladders to begin their descent.

As the vanguard reached the hall floor, the pigeons tucked into their belts suddenly began to flap frantically, as if spooked by something.

Knowing the venomous centipedes were present, the men remained calm and began to scout their surroundings with practiced ease.

Lu Yan looked down at Chen Yulou from above and offered a charming smile. "Brother Chen, shall I give you a lift?"

"No need, I shall descend myself."

Chen Yulou turned pale and shook his head, fearing Lu Yan might play another trick on him.

Lu Yan shrugged, leaped into the air, and drifted down into the underground palace like a willow leaf caught in a breeze.

Chen Yulou, gripping his Little Divine Blade, led his men down the bamboo ladders. Seeing armor and spears scattered about but no coffins, he realized this must be a side hall.

Lu Yan swept his gaze around the room and lost interest; he had plenty of ways to make money, and in his eyes, the venomous centipedes were far more precious than these burial goods.

Just as Chen Yulou was about to carefully inspect the area for traps, a rustling sound began to echo through the palace.

Chen Yulou's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly ordered his men to raise their lanterns, revealing countless large, red-striped centipedes crawling out from the gaps in the rafters. Their mandibles dripped with transparent slime, ready to devour anything in their path, yet they were deterred from attacking by the peculiar fragrance of the Antidote Pills.

"Chief, what should we do?"

The Xieling brothers felt their hearts tremble at the sight of the dense, hideous swarm and turned to Chen Yulou for guidance.

Chen Yulou glanced at Lu Yan, then commanded in a low voice, "Spread the lime first, keep your pills ready, and continue the search."

"Yes!"

The men had always followed Chen Yulou's lead, so they obeyed in unison, steeling themselves to advance toward the venomous creatures.

To their surprise, as the Xieling brothers took a step forward, the centipedes retreated, not daring to approach.

This emboldened the group, and they swaggered into the center of the swarm, scattering handfuls of lime everywhere.

After inspecting the area and finding no traps, Chen Yulou discovered a corridor leading out of the side hall. "Alright, leave the items for now. A few of you, go ahead and scout the path."

With that, Chen Yulou looked at Lu Yan, who stood with his hands behind his back, and walked over with a smile. "Brother Lu, would you like to come along and take a look?"

"Sure."

Lu Yan nodded and walked toward the corridor with Chen Yulou.

The corridor was wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side, but the ceiling was filled with tiny white specks that rose and fell with the breeze created by their movement.

Though Lu Yan had not seen this part of the story, his Sharingan allowed for minute observation. He could clearly see that the white specks were centipede eggs, and he knew that nothing good would come of them entering a human body, so he signaled for everyone to stop.

"Brother Lu, what is it?"

Knowing there must be a reason, Chen Yulou turned to look at Lu Yan.

"The white specks floating up there are centipede eggs."

Lu Yan tilted his head toward the ceiling, stepped to the front of the group, and formed a hand seal, pointing his palm toward the air.

A sudden, strange gust of wind whipped through the corridor, swirling into a vortex that gathered all the centipede eggs into the space above Lu Yan's palm, gradually compressing them into a white sphere.

"At least I won't be short on these now."

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

"Alright, we can proceed."

Lu Yan waved his hand behind him and led the way forward.

Emerging from the corridor, several magnificent, imposing halls came into view. The structures were towering, with layers of eaves and brackets arranged in dense rows. Both inside and outside the halls, lights burned bright, stretching out in endless, overlapping tiers that made the golden bricks and glazed tiles shimmer with brilliance.

Standing in the center, the most majestic hall bore the inscription "Immeasurable Hall" in ancient seal script. Surrounded by an ethereal, misty atmosphere, it truly possessed the air of a celestial palace.

Chen Yulou followed behind Lu Yan, marveling at the sight while explaining, "The belly of Bottle Mountain is truly a place of great geomantic fortune. The vital energy flows unceasingly, keeping the ancient artifacts hidden within as fresh as the day they were buried."

"This hall is no simple feat either. The Ten-Thousand Year Candles and Glazed Lamps among the pavilions are laid out exactly according to the star charts. It is complex yet orderly, with a solemn atmosphere—truly a place for immortals."

Lu Yan couldn't be bothered to listen to his boasting. He walked quickly to the stone bridge in front of the Immeasurable Hall and stared at the withered pool below.

Through the lens of his Sharingan, Lu Yan could see faint black miasma radiating from the places where the Six-Winged Centipede had recently crawled. The withered pool, in particular, was surging with black energy; it was clear the Six-Winged Centipede was hiding within.

"Brother Lu, what is it?"

Chen Yulou knew that Lu Yan possessed a strange ocular technique capable of seeing things beyond their reach, so he paid close attention to Lu Yan's every move.

"The demonic aura is soaring; there is something down there."

Lu Yan did not waste words, speaking with concise brevity.

Chen Yulou's eyes widened slightly, but seeing Lu Yan's calm expression, he probed, "What do you mean, Brother Lu?"

"Tell your men to scatter lime and cinnabar downward to force it out."

"I will handle it when the time comes; you all should scatter."

Chen Yulou looked at Lu Yan, the three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes dripping with a vivid, blood-red hue.

"Very well. Brothers, scatter it!"

Chen Yulou nodded, signaling the Xieling men to take action.

In an instant, vast quantities of lime and cinnabar were poured into the withered pool, disturbing the Six-Winged Centipede slumbering at the bottom.

Although the Six-Winged Centipede's cultivation was such that this lime and cinnabar could not harm it, the irritation was unbearable, so it let out a heaven-shaking roar and took flight, wings beating rapidly.

"It's here."

Lu Yan stared fixedly at the mouth of the pool, holding the Ebony and Ivory in his hands. Chen Yulou stood beside him clutching the Little Divine Blade, while the rest of the Xieling men had long since retreated to a distance.

In a single breath, the Six-Winged Centipede climbed beneath the bridge, arched its body, and lunged out from the bridge railing, its yellowish-brown underbelly and hundreds of claws twitching—a truly hideous sight.

"The Six-Winged Centipede!"

Chen Yulou's face drained of color. Usually, a centipede's age could be determined by the number of its legs, but this creature's legs were too numerous to count, and with six wings sprouting from its back, it was surely a matured spirit.

"Wind Blast Bullet!"

Seeing the Six-Winged Centipede coil its strength for a ferocious pounce, Lu Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, raised the Ivory, and fired repeatedly at the creature's underbelly.