Misery: There is a pawn shop here

Chapter 154 Beacon Fire at Pingshan
A flickering lamp illuminates ancient scrolls, while the soft tinkling of copper bells echoes around the carved beams. Inside a pawnshop, Li Xuanxiao stands with his hands behind his back before a water mirror, observing the unpredictable and turbulent battle at Pingshan. The mirror reflects shifting light and shadow, showing the fluttering banners of the otherworldly demon realm. Where black pennants billow, demon generals like Tunfo Tongzi and Teng Xielang stand in formation, their presence more chilling and menacing than any expected array. The righteous heroes are no ordinary men either; Mu Shaoai, Ye Xiaochai, and Ao Xiao Hongchen stand side by side, like pine trees standing tall atop a mountain, exuding an unwavering steadfastness.

"This battle is related to the aftermath of the Bitter Realm."

Perhaps due to his intervention, the lineup of the Otherworld is considerably more impressive compared to the original storyline. However, the righteous side has also received significant support. Both sides have undergone "enhancement," resulting in vastly different levels of excitement.

Mu Shaoai and his companions faced off against Tunfo Tongzi and the three gatekeepers of the Otherworld Demon Realm. As old rivals, they were familiar with each other's abilities and methods. The battle reached a fever pitch as soon as it began. Even though they all knew that the real battlefield was on Ping Mountain, they still did not hold back in the slightest when they attacked. It was a pure life-or-death struggle!
On the other side, Teng Xielang, meeting the Central Plains Sword Saint for the first time, unleashed a flurry of attacks with his naginata, aiming directly at Ye Xiaochai. Ye Xiaochai, wielding his sword, remained steadfast and unwavering. After only a few exchanges, Teng Xielang already felt the pressure, realizing his opponent was extraordinary. Meanwhile, Tianxian Daocang, still recovering from serious injuries, faced the two demon generals, Mo Ci'er and Pan Xiong, but was in dire straits. After only a short time, his wounds flared up, his strength waning, and blood flowed freely.

Ye Xiaochai frowned slightly, wanting to break away to provide support, but he was entangled by Teng Xielang and could not extricate himself.

"Hey, with me in front of you, how can you be distracted by others?" Teng Xielang sneered, and Ye Xiaochai had no choice but to withdraw and respond.

But at that moment, a blade of light appeared from the sky, and a figure in white robes, accompanied by drifting white feathers, descended swiftly, directly confronting the battle. Several clanging sounds rang out as the vanguard, Demon Thorn, was defeated, followed by Pan Xiong.

"Oh, another expert has arrived."

At the same time, Gui Zuoshi and Fu Tiantang faced Ao Xiao Hongchen, both of whom were constantly restrained and injured by every move. Faced with an absolute difference in strength, they could only barely resist with their upgraded Bloodthirsty Evil Undying Body, but they were completely powerless to fight back. However, at the top, Ye Chongsheng, the leader of the Bloodthirsty Evil, also dared not be careless in the face of the person in front of him.

"The leader of the heretics is not subordinate to the Demon Realm, so why should he participate?" Gui Liang Tianxia faced the leader of the heretics directly, standing with his hands behind his back. His clothes fluttered without wind, and a faint aura of righteousness emanated from his body. His words were full of confidence.

Ye Chongsheng was unaware of the newcomer's background. He only knew from the brief exchange of a few moves that the newcomer possessed extraordinary strength. He thought to himself that this battle was an offensive by the Otherworldly Demon Realm, and that the Bloodthirsty Evil Ones were enough to restrain him. There was no need to fight to the death with the righteous path. Therefore, he did not continue to make a move. He only looked at the black-robed man not far away and said in a deep voice, "After exchanging a few moves, I still do not know your name."

"Ghost Liang Under Heaven!"

……

Inside the pawnshop, Xiao gazed at the two opposing sides reflected in the water mirror and asked curiously, "Shopkeeper, why didn't Chong Sheng make a move that night?"

Li Xuanxiao turned around, his gaze gentle, and said, "Xiao, on the battlefield, it's not just about brute force, but also about weighing options. The Bloodthirsty Evil Ones are not true warriors of the Demon Realm, so why waste your lives for them?" He paused, then added, "This battle may seem exciting, but in reality, each side has its own calculations. The Demon Realm wants to wipe them out in one fell swoop, while the righteous path wants to block the Demon Realm's advance. Each has their own agenda; how can they fight with all their might?"

Both sides have strengthened their defenses, which means neither side has strengthened their defenses. According to the turn-based game rules, the Otherworld's offensive has not been effective in this battle, and the next round should be the counterattack of the righteous path.

If the troops of Wansheng Rock could break the seal, it might be the key to victory or defeat in this battle. However, the rift connection of the Otherworld Demon Realm affected the interior of Wansheng Rock. Su Huanzhen wanted to take the opportunity to break the seal but was stopped by Xi Mietian. Both sides had basically laid out their forces, but in the end, it was still a stalemate.

"Then what's the point of them continuing to fight like this?" Xiao asked, puzzled.

“Ambition, desire, thoughts, and goals—the meaning of something is important, but that doesn’t mean it can only be judged by its value and significance. Besides, even if this battle doesn’t produce a result, it’s not entirely meaningless for either side.”

After this period of instruction, Xiao has barely moved from being an artificial life form towards becoming a pseudo-human. There are still many problems, but there are also some profound ones and some simple ones. Li Xuanxiao would occasionally instill some ideas in him, but most of the time, it was the pawnshop staff who took turns teaching and guiding him.

"Then what's the point of them doing this?" Xiao asked again. "Well, consider this your assignment for the next few days. Remember to hand in a two-thousand-word essay for me to check after you finish it."

"Ah..." Xiao's eyelids twitched for no reason, then she closed her mouth and nodded to indicate that she understood.

Li Xuanxiao smiled slightly at Xiao Wei, then turned his gaze back to the battle situation at Pingshan.

At the summit of Ping Mountain, facing the Demon Lord of Another Dimension, Lian Emei unleashed another powerful move, shaking the dual Dao Qi of Ping Mountain and rivaling the Two Extreme Sounds. It was the move of Dao Liu Ping Zong that roared forth.

Faced with the heart-piercing move of the past, Yama Hanba unleashed "Desolate God's Urgency," a fierce palm strike concealing a gentle force, domineering and incomparably swift and deadly.

When the Demon Lord met Yunren, their first move together caused the heavens and earth to shatter!

"Lian Emei, I have been looking forward to this battle for a long time. Let's go again!"

"Drink!" Lian Emei did not reply verbally, but her eyes changed and her expression became serious. The cloud figure slowly rose into the air, emitting a seven-colored red light and gathering the energy of wind and clouds.

"Floating duckweed cascading like a rainbow!"

"Well done!" Yama Hanba's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. He stepped into a bow stance and spun rapidly with the Yama Wild God Slashing Blade Style, responding with a powerful move!
"Enma God Wilderness!"

The two attacks clashed, but Lian Emei's move was drawn by Yanmo Hanba's move and headed straight for four directions. The battlefields around were paying close attention to the battle situation in Pingshan. Seeing the air currents flying over, they dared not be careless and immediately put down their opponents to meet the attack.

However, the battle at the foot of the mountain could not affect the fighting on the mountain. Just as everyone was preparing their moves, the master of Ping Mountain made another unexpected move. Lian Emei stirred up the wind and clouds, and her body transformed into a floating cloud, bringing a powerful aura to the Demon Lord.

Instead of retreating, Yama Hanba advanced, blocking with her blade. The powerful attack caused Ping Mountain to explode and the ground to sink three feet. The high air pressure of the attack shook the demon's might, and the Demon Lord's sword formation collapsed. The demon's body was struck by the palm and was pushed straight into the mountain by Lian Emei's palm. However, only a moment later, Yama Hanba rushed out of the mountain wall with an even stronger momentum and counterattacked with a blade. The blade energy extended, without sharpness, but with immense force, and slammed Lian Emei to the ground.

"Hah! Yama, let's finish this quickly!"

"Hmph, I'm going to settle things with you one move at a time!"

"A delusional person dreaming!"

"Hahaha, whether it's a dream or not, you'll know after the battle!"

(End of this chapter)