Chapter 86 — Iron-Backed Centipedes

As the net of light bore down, Zhou Xuan paid it no heed. Mighty as the glow was, with the Seven-Colored Fairy's Relic Banner to hold it off there was no danger; Zhou Xuan was left in peace, and gave his attention only to the black lines the two Daoists Zhenkong and Zhenguang had loosed at them.

Zhou Xuan's heavenly eye was long since open, and he saw them clearly: those dozen black lines were a dozen iron-backed centipedes, claws and fangs bared, jet-black all over as though cased in iron, five inches long, with eyes the size of beans burning like two fire-diamonds—save that between their jaws and claws flickered a faint blue light, plain proof of a creature monstrously venomous.

Delight showed between Zhou Xuan's brows. 'Well, well! Those Five Wanderers of the Western Regions are truly frightened out of their wits by me, to loose even such uncanny insects to bite at a man. I may as well take them for myself—they will be a fine ally in days to come!' Zhou Xuan gathered his true essence, and his great sleeve became a plate of iron; he drew it across the empty air before the onrushing dozen iron-backed centipedes, and space itself was slit open in a black seam. The formless pull of it swept the centipedes into the rift, which closed behind them, leaving no trace to be seen.