Misery: There is a pawn shop here

Chapter 178 The Pillar to Heaven

The Tower of Heaven stands between heaven and earth, like a giant sword piercing the sky, engraving countless grudges and affections in the martial arts world.

Long ago, the pure and fragrant white lotus Su Huanzhen uncovered the bizarre truth behind the ghost carriage here, thus beginning a legend. Years have passed, and time has flowed on. Now, this towering pillar has stirred up a storm, attracting heroes from all corners of the martial world. Beneath the pillar, crowds of martial artists stretch their necks, their eyes filled with greed and longing, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the divine artifact. To possess it would be an even greater pleasure.

"Clouds and mist vie for change, wind and rain sweep across the sky. In serene solitude, a lone figure sits, serene and untroubled." A clear and melodious poem, like celestial music from beyond the heavens, pierced the sky. The voice conveyed a transcendent and carefree spirit, seemingly able to make one forget the hustle and bustle of the world, feeling only a gentle breeze on the face, and the mind and spirit refreshed.

"The flames of war spread across the plains, and the ambition to dominate the world is challenged. Alone, I tread through blood, with the cold blades of a thousand fathoms." A domineering and unparalleled recitation followed, as powerful as thunder, carrying an aura of looking down upon the world, making everyone's eardrums hurt, as if they could see the image of a hegemon who fought bloody battles and swept away thousands of troops.

Almost at the same instant the hymn sounded, those beneath the Heavenly Pillar felt a blinding light before their eyes. Two beams of light, one red and one blue, streaked across the sky like shooting stars, crashing down upon the top of the pillar. When the light dissipated, the figures that appeared were none other than the Cloud-like Lian Emei and the Demon Lord Yanmo Hanba!

Lian Emei was graceful and elegant, her Taoist robe fluttering in the wind, like a celestial being descended to earth; Yanmo Hanba was surrounded by demonic energy, her aura terrifying, like a demon god from the deepest hell. The two looked at each other, not saying a word, but sparks seemed to fly in the air, and a tense atmosphere instantly spread.

"There are no poor scholars in the world, all are happy under one roof. Thousands of guests drink together, and friendship is shared in laughter."

At this tense moment of confrontation, a figure suddenly appeared in the crowd, soaring like a dragon through the heavens. With unparalleled agility, he regarded the towering pillar as if it were flat ground, and in the blink of an eye, he had already flown to the top of the pillar.

"Wow, that's amazing, that's amazing."

Almost at the same time that Gui Liangtianxia climbed up the Tongtian Pillar, another figure, seemingly mad and insane, used both hands and feet to quickly climb to the top of the Tongtian Pillar as well. Looking at the imposing Gui Liangtianxia, ​​he kept making sarcastic remarks.

"The Lord of the Pit of Sin, based on my understanding of the pawnshop owner, he would not allow anyone to undermine him." At this moment, Bei Chen Yuan Huang, who had received the invitation, also arrived at the Tower of Heaven, and the two sides of good and evil were immediately in a three-on-two situation.

"Three against two, do you really think you have the advantage?" Yama Hanba said disdainfully, looking at the three people in front of him.

Of the three, only Lian Emei was worthy of his attention; the rest were not worth a second glance.

"Amitabha, benefactor, your words are erroneous." Before Yama Hanba finished speaking, a beam of Buddhist light appeared. The Buddha was dressed in white robes, with a solemn and compassionate appearance. Behind him was a Buddhist wheel, radiating pure and holy Buddhist energy.

“It’s that bald monk from Wansheng Rock.” Without the visitor needing to introduce himself, Yama Hanba had already recognized him. “That demon is indeed untrustworthy, actually letting a fish that slipped through the net come here.”

"What you said is not right." At that moment, another spatial fluctuation occurred at the top of the pillar of heaven, and the dark passage opened. Xiao, dressed in purple robes, slowly walked out from inside, refuting what Yama Hanba had said earlier.

“That demon is very strong. Even Zero and One working together to stop it would be under considerable pressure. But Wan Shengyan is a guest invited by the shopkeeper, so naturally we won’t prevent him from attending.” Xiao said calmly, “Now that the time has come, I will explain the matter of the artifact to you all on behalf of the shopkeeper.”

As he spoke, Xiao fumbled under his cloak for a moment, then pulled out a megaphone in full view of everyone. He then put the megaphone to his mouth and shouted loudly at the base of the Tongtian Pillar, "Hey, can you hear me?"

"Hey, can you hear me...?" The voice emanated from the loudspeaker, echoing down the mountain and resonating with everyone on the Tower of Heaven, not only in their ears but also in their hearts.

"We're not going to be fooled, are we? This guy looks so stupid and dull," someone in the crowd muttered.

"No way, so many big names are here, they can't just be messing around," another person replied.

"That makes sense, but that person doesn't seem very bright at all..." The crowd discussed amongst themselves, their faces full of doubt and confusion.

……

In the crowd, Ye Tuling nudged Qin Jiaxian beside him and whispered, "Big brother, that person is really strange."

Qin Jiaxian slapped Ye Tuling on the head and said irritably, "Don't yell. How could that pawnshop's promotion be a scam? If you're careless, your life will be in danger."

“Exactly, exactly,” the corpse-man chimed in with a smug grin.

……

……

"It seems everyone can hear it." Xiao didn't care about other people's gazes or eyes at all. After confirming that the megaphone in his hand could indeed amplify the sound, he immediately spoke again: "By order of my lord, I have set up an illusion array at the top of the Tongtian Pillar. The five arrays correspond to the five divine artifacts. Whoever passes through the array will become the master of the divine artifact."

"Those who wish to enter the formation and challenge the level need to pawn their personal belongings in exchange for the qualification to enter. Those who are not confident in their own strength can also add extra items to pawn in exchange for additional support. As for those who cannot reach the Heavenly Pillar, they can pawn items at the foot of the Heavenly Pillar to exchange for a ticket to the top, which will directly grant them the qualification to pawn items to enter the level."

Xiao was completely oblivious to how convoluted his speech was. He simply kept speaking, word by word, without any intonation. His voice was amplified through a loudspeaker. Only then did people realize that although the loudspeaker seemed like a joke, every word Xiao uttered, whether or not the people present listened attentively, was etched into their minds as soon as it stopped.

Xiao continued reading aloud from the storybook until the very end. "Alright, now that we've reached this point, I'm sure everyone here is curious about what these so-called divine artifacts are. So I won't keep you in suspense any longer. The five divine artifacts are the Sharp-Sensed Tassel, the Key to Creation, the Path of Heaven, the Unbreakable Protection, and the Power to Shake the Firmament. As for their effects..."

Before he finished speaking, a golden light pierced through the air and enveloped Xiao. Everyone looked closely and saw a cloak with hidden golden light on Xiao's body. The cloak had intricate seal script flowing on it and exuded a mysterious aura.

"This is the Unbreakable Protection," Xiao explained to those present. "As for its effect, it is an extremely powerful protective ability."

Then Xiao said, looking at the six people on the Heavenly Pillar. "The shopkeeper invites the six of you to join forces to demonstrate the power of the Unbreakable Protection, so please make your move."

(End of this chapter)