362: Arrogance

The inner court of the imperial palace was very calm, but even within this calm, there were still ripples.

After all, no matter how tight the defenses were, there would always be loopholes!

Wu Gong's true form was a centipede. He brought his thirty-six Disciples and grand-Disciples, bit through the defensive Formation in an inconspicuous corner of the Shan Jin Bureau, and snuck in.

The reason he possessed this ability was that he was not an ordinary centipede, but a genuine "Flying Dragon." He was a Dragon species born from the mating of a Dragon and a centipede spirit. His pair of sharp, pincer-like teeth were inherently the bane of all defensive Formations; this could be considered his innate Divine Ability!

"Grandmaster, the Disciple has already scouted it out. The Emperor of Great Tang's sleeping quarters are just behind this garden. This place is called the Shan Jin Bureau, specifically for crafting gold and silver ware for the royal family, and it is only separated from the Daming Palace by two walls!" one of the subordinates said, proudly seeking credit.

"Heh, well done! Hmph, I thought the Great Tang imperial palace was some dragon's den or tiger's lair, but it turns out to be nothing more than this!" Wu Gong wore a Daoist robe and usually passed himself off as a Daoist priest. His subordinates, Disciples, and grand-Disciples were basically all sorts of poisonous insects, and they all worshipped him like a god.

"Grandmaster, this time we have penetrated deep into the imperial palace. If we kill the Emperor of Great Tang and seize that imperial jade seal, the Ghost King will surely credit us with a great achievement!" another grand-Disciple flattered from the side.

However, this flattery backfired. Wu Gong did not look pleased; he snorted coldly without speaking, turning instead to look at the wall to the side, seemingly contemplating something.

Smack!

The grand-Disciple received a rap on the head, and heard his Master say: "If you don't know how to speak, keep your bird mouth shut. What is that Ghost King worth? Once we take the imperial jade seal and kill that bird Emperor, wouldn't it be perfect for your Grandmaster to become this Emperor? Why bother with that Ghost King? By then, our School will be the only one capable of obtaining the Luck of this world, and we will be the hope for the revival of the Yao Race!"

Wu Gong couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile, very satisfied with this Disciple. However, he still said: "Eldest, you only know one, but not the other. This Luck is something all cultivators must fight for in the coming trend of the world. If the imperial jade seal is in hand, perhaps your Master I will have the opportunity to realize the Dao and become a Saint, understand?"

The Disciples were half-understanding, but only that eldest one's eyes lit up as he said: "In other words, once you attain the Dao, you can also take us to achieve Immortal Ascension?"

"Heh, what do you think? Hmm, alright, enough nonsense. Start the operation. All of you, keep alert. This imperial palace still has some tricks; the layout follows the celestial stars and secretly aligns with the Five Elements and I-Ching arts. There might be some kind of Formation, so you must be careful... Take your weapons, follow me!"

Wu Gong flew up, his Disciples and grand-Disciples following closely behind, flying towards the palace not far away.

"Avoid the gaze of those guards. Do not kill anyone, otherwise, it will easily alert the enemy!"

Wu Gong hovered above the palace with his people. A group of Qianniu Guards turned the corner, looking like they were on routine patrol.

"Rest assured, Grandmaster. With our skills, even if we pass right in front of them, they won't be able to notice!" The young Daoist who spoke first chuckled, then immediately charged into the Emperor's bedroom.

Wu Gong smiled helplessly: "This little guy is quite clever, knowing how to snatch the first credit... Very well, you few, follow me..."

As he spoke, he had already led a few people in. The few guards on duty nearby did not notice their existence at all, only feeling a gust of cold wind blow by. The door opened and closed instantly, as if it had never moved at all.

However, once inside the palace, Wu Gong couldn't help but frown slightly, because the young Daoist boy who had just entered was standing in place, looking at the Emperor Li Chengqian on the couch, motionless.

"Kid, what's wrong with you?" Wu Gong asked in a low voice.

"Grandmaster... I... I'm scared!" The young Daoist boy turned his head with a mournful face.

"Useless thing, what are you afraid of?" Wu Gong wanted to slap him, but was afraid of alerting others, so he suppressed his anger. "This is just an ordinary person who has never cultivated. Why are you afraid of him?"

"I... I don't know..." The young Daoist boy was almost crying, whispering, "Just after coming in, I felt something was wrong. For no reason, I felt a wave of fear... I don't know what's going on!"

"You..." Wu Gong was about to speak, but his sleeve was tugged. Turning back to look, he saw that all his Disciples had expressions of terror, as if they had seen a ghost.

"You... you all..." "Master..." The eldest Disciple said, trembling, "Master, let's retreat. I... I feel like something is wrong somewhere!"

Wu Gong finally realized something was wrong this time, but looking back at Li Chengqian's sleeping figure, he suddenly gritted his teeth: "Isn't this just scaring ourselves? Hmph, I am determined to take this Emperor of Great Tang's life! Once I kill him, I will capture his soul to ask for the whereabouts of the imperial jade seal!"

As he spoke, he raised his precious sword and viciously stabbed towards the Emperor's back, secretly thinking: "Blame only your own bad Luck!"

However, the long sword stabbed out, but suddenly stopped three inches from the Emperor's back, unable to advance any further. A thick, black Evil Qi suddenly emanated from the Emperor's body, firmly blocking his attack.

"Wu Gong, is it? Heh, a tiny Flying Dragon spirit, daring to be so arrogant. You really should have listened to your Disciple and retreated!"

Wu Gong was terrified. He wanted to pull out his sword, but the long sword in his hand seemed to be cast in mid-air and could not be moved at all. In the blink of an eye, an extremely thick, black Evil Qi suddenly emerged from the Emperor's body. A vaguely pale figure, holding a mourning staff, suddenly appeared and crawled out from within the black Qi. Its long tongue hung out as it sneered at Wu Gong.

"Hiss, this is bad, this is White Impermanence!"

Wu Gong was shocked. He hurriedly let go, twisted his waist, and had already transformed into a huge, ten-meter-long centipede with wings on its ribs. Its pair of giant pincers bit fiercely towards White Impermanence. He knew that these pincers could directly harm souls, so he shouted fearlessly: "So what if you are White Impermanence? You are just a small pawn of the Underworld. Watch as this Immortal eats you!"

White Impermanence couldn't help but reveal a sinister smile: "What an arrogant demon. It seems you really don't know what death is!"

Hum!

The mourning staff in his hand fell suddenly, smashing onto Wu Gong's pincers without the slightest hesitation, and then landed on his head.

Bang!

In an instant, Wu Gong's head exploded, and his entire body fell stiffly to the ground. His Disciples let out a shout and turned to run outside. White Impermanence chuckled coldly: "Since you've come, then all of you stay!"

Swish!

A chain suddenly flew out from his sleeve, turning into thirty-five chains in mid-air, instantly locking the shoulder blades of all thirty-plus demons. Then, with a gentle tug, they flew towards White Impermanence...