Misery: There is a pawn shop here

Chapter 211 The Journey of the Crouching Dragon

As the dawn light gilded the sea of ​​clouds with a golden glow, the clamor beneath the towering pillar surged like boiling tea. Compared to the bustling scene of thousands flocking to the city a few days prior, the initial fervor had subsided, but a different kind of lively atmosphere had emerged around the pillar's base—

Vendors set up tarpaulin stalls, hawking dried meat and strong liquor, while fortune tellers waved their divination banners, weaving through the crowd and hoarsely shouting, "Predict the fortune of those who will pass the test!" The wandering swordsmen gathered in twos and threes, gazing at the colossal pillar that pierced the clouds. Though their eyes had lost some of the madness of a desperate gamble, a lingering covetousness for the divine artifact remained.

After all, as long as Manager Li's daily quota of one hundred people remains, there will always be people who believe that the next person to step into the illusion is the one destined by fate.

However, today there are some extraordinary sights. The rosy dawn returns, and a clear and melodious poem rolls down from the clouds. Each word is like jade striking each other, dispelling the morning mist. A figure can be seen gracefully riding the clouds.

"Clouds and mist vie to change, wind and rain sweep across the sky. I sit in serene tranquility, a bed undisturbed by the passing of time."

Lian Emei lightly touched the clouds with her toes, her plain white Taoist robe fluttering in the mountain wind. The jade hairpin at her temple reflected the morning light, her face was calm as water, only a trace of barely perceptible anxiety was hidden deep in her eyes, while at the foot of the Tongtian Pillar, the sound of poems and the sight of human figures had already caused a great commotion.

"This poem is by Lian Emei, and she's here too."

"The two eminent monks of Wansheng Rock have disappeared without a trace, and that Demon Lord of Another Dimension also returned defeated. She's just a practitioner of Emei Sect, I don't think she can do anything."

"Exactly, exactly. If you ask me, that lousy pawnshop is just setting up these kinds of obstacles to bully people. They never intended to give away the artifact."

……

Everyone was talking and debating, but Lian Emei, who was on the Tongtian Pillar, had just arrived not far from Xiao and asked, "May I ask if the eminent monk of Wansheng Rock is still in the illusion?"

"Yes." Xiao raised his eyes, his gaze as indifferent as an ancient pool, his sparing use of words exactly the same as the information Lian Emei had learned.

"May I ask, was he ever in mortal danger within the illusion?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao paused for a rare moment, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly: "I don't know. Perhaps the shopkeeper should answer this question."

Having received the answer, Lian Emei's expression became even more serious. "So..."

Just as Lian Emei was pondering whether to force her way into the illusion, a tsunami-like scream suddenly erupted from beneath the Heavenly Pillar. The sound waves surged up in layers, carrying a trembling sense of terror and disbelief. Almost simultaneously, both Lian Emei and Xiao felt a chilling, bone-piercing aura tear through the air, an aura mixed with decaying and tyrannical power, like a ferocious demon bursting forth from an ancient tomb.

"Boom——"

Several bursts of energy struck the towering pillar, scattering fine stone dust. A figure in black robes trod across the pillar's indentations as if walking on flat ground, each step leaving a deep, bone-revealing palm print. He stood with his hands behind his back, his figure slender and upright, his face appearing exceptionally handsome in the morning light, even possessing a touch of scholarly refinement. Yet, his eyes were empty and lifeless, like dusty glass, exuding an indescribable eeriness.

This person……

Lian Emei immediately recognized the person before her as a corpse whose life force had been extinguished for many years. She wondered how the creature was still able to move, but its presence here could only mean one thing: a purpose.

The Five Divine Artifacts! The person before me is probably here for the Five Divine Artifacts as well.

"The Five Divine Artifacts..." Xiao's voice carried a barely perceptible tension as he stared at the man in black robes. "So, you've come here for this as well?"

The moment the words "Five Divine Artifacts" were uttered, the black-robed man abruptly looked up, a faint crimson light flashing in his empty eyes, as if some forbidden switch had been triggered. The next instant, his figure transformed into a black lightning bolt, so fast that only a blur remained, hurtling straight towards Xiao's face!

"boom!"

Xiao hastily raised his palm to meet the attack, and the muffled thud of the two immense forces colliding was like a thunderclap. Xiao felt a chilling force surge into his palm, freezing his meridians so much that they almost cracked. He was forced back seven steps, the rocks beneath his feet cracking inch by inch. He looked up in horror; his opponent's palm technique was ruthless and cunning, each move aimed directly at vital points, yet the moves also exuded a simple and elegant charm.

So strong!

A single move was enough to reveal just the tip of the iceberg of the newcomer's abilities. Having failed in his first move, Xiao dared not be careless and used all his abilities to deal with the situation. However, although the person in front of him was a living corpse, his foundation, moves, and combat skills were all extraordinary. Even if Xiao went all out, he could not gain an advantage over the living corpse and instead retreated step by step.

At that moment, Lian Emei stopped watching and struck out with a palm, intercepting the zombie's attack. In the first exchange, Lian Emei was secretly shocked; the person before her was in no way inferior to her. If the zombie's power was so great, what an extraordinary person he would be if he were still alive.

The zombie showed no change, unleashing rapid attacks and strikes, each move a deadly weapon. Lian Emei, unaware of her opponent's origins, held back in her attacks, resulting in a stalemate.

"This... is truly an unexpected situation. I remember the shopkeeper mentioning that these kinds of inexplicable things might appear."

Xiao glanced at the two still locked in combat, his brow furrowing slightly. He suddenly leaped back several feet, reaching into his sleeve to pull out a well-worn, thread-bound book. The cover bore the words "Regarding Potential Trouble" written in vermilion ink. Xiao's fingers flew across the pages, fine beads of sweat beading on his forehead, heading straight for the last few entries. He quickly turned to the page. Holding the book up, he compared it to the living corpse currently entangled with Lian Emei; they were identical.

The page contained a simple sketch of a man in black robes, with a few lines of text written in cursive script beside it: "The Crouching Dragon, a Class A incident. The former owner of the Five Divine Artifacts, the builder of the Xuanyuan Legacy, after his death, used a secret method to refine his corpse. Although his mind is gone, his martial arts instincts and foundation remain, making his combat power terrifying. Countermeasure: The best solution is to summon the manager."

Upon seeing the contents, Xiao looked up at the sky, opened his mouth several times, then closed it again. After hesitating for a while, he finally shouted in a very stiff voice, "Shopkeeper, help! Help!"

"Ok?"

After their palms clashed, Lian Emei, who was retreating along with Wolong Xing, almost lost her composure after hearing Xiao's shouts.

However, the next moment, the sky suddenly changed, and a series of circular chains of light fell from the sky, one after another, perfectly restricting Wolongxing.

Wolongxing let out a non-human roar, his body surging with black energy as he tried to break free of the chains. However, golden runes flickered on the chains, suppressing his power layer by layer. A hint of almost painful struggle appeared in his originally calm eyes.

"It's really unexpected that you've recovered, Crouching Dragon."

(End of this chapter)