Demonic Hall

"I am not resigned, I am not resigned!"

The shrill cries and howls, like ghostly wails, seemed to imprint themselves onto every inch of the land, plunging people into nightmares, echoing in this vast, empty area for a long time.

Ji Tian stood motionlessly before a large, deep pit, gazing at the deep pool that had shrunk to a single drop of water in his hand. Four small silver fish swam within this drop, constantly emitting silvery-white light. The light transformed into a phantom chain, binding a mass of black shadow.

The black shadow thrashed and roared within the water droplet. But immediately, a restraining force pulled it down deeply.

Ji Tian watched the struggling black shadow and smiled faintly. Recalling everything that had just happened, he couldn't help but feel a pang of fear. It was like a dream, everything was as if in a dream.

The root cause of all this was that very undead being he had looked down upon, the one he could have easily swatted away with a single palm.

As Ji Tian refined the undead, he touched its fragmented memories, indelible memories left behind by countless deaths.

Life is like a mayfly, born in the morning and dying by evening. He wanted to change this sorrowful existence.

Watching the undead's repeated cycles of life and death, a helplessness that touched the soft spot in Ji Tian's heart.

The undead pleaded, "I am willing to become a restrictive spirit, to control this pool of water. I can send you out, and even give you the Seal Bone, but I must forever suppress that wisp of remnant soul."

"If everything you say is the remnant bone's scheme, how can I trust you?"

Ji Tian hesitated, but he had no better options at the moment.

Many things within this pool were controlled by that remnant soul: the death energy gradually forming into an inner core, the restrictive force pressing down on him.

What other choice did he have but to trust the other party?

"If I want to become a restrictive spirit, I will need your soul power. My soul is too weak after all."

Ji Tian asked doubtfully, "Do you know the secret of this pool's restriction? Can you become a restrictive spirit?"

"He always used me as an experiment to deduce the restriction, and I learned some from it. It's a pity I always thought those who died were my companions, only to realize it was myself. Sometimes, the speed of death was measured in seconds. I am not resigned, I don't want to continue like this."

"Later, I slowly understood that this restriction was created to suppress that remnant bone. It has almost no rejection towards other living beings, as long as they are not the beings the restriction is meant to suppress, there is a chance. The reason that remnant bone can control this pool's restriction is that it almost abandoned its own body, transforming into a mass of death energy. Like me, it is a spirit formed from death energy. But it still couldn't bear to part with the power of its original body, and periodically returns to its body to absorb soul power."

Ji Tian said, "How can we deceive him?"

"Continue your refining, and strive to refine the black stone. This is what he most wishes to see, and one of the reasons he has stayed here. He is too confident, which is his weakness, and this weakness will be fatal. We will strike when his psychological defenses are weakest, and we will surely succeed."

Ji Tian said, "Weakest? It's likely when the black stone is successfully refined."

"That won't do. There is a very powerful force within it. If he seizes it, we will all be finished."

Ji Tian pondered, "If you become a restrictive spirit, can you create some illusions? For example, to make him think the black stone has been successfully refined in his eyes. If possible, I could even drive him mad. Wouldn't my chances be greater?"

"It's possible. Let's try it. You'd best swallow a large amount of the restriction into your body."

Ji Tian frowned, "This..."

"You can only gamble. Everything here is not a trap."

Ji Tian was truly hesitant now. This was an opportunity, but it could also be a trap. If he swallowed a large amount of the restriction, the worst outcome would be for him to become a restrictive spirit. This was a high-stakes gamble, a gamble for his life.

If he won, he would gain freedom and a piece of the Seal Bone.

If he lost, he would be forever trapped in this place, perhaps to be refined by someone else one day.

Ji Tian looked at the water drop in his hand. He realized he had won the gamble.

Although he obtained a finger bone, he would never obtain that wisp of Pangu's remnant soul, unless he could refine this restrictive water drop and reclaim that wisp of remnant soul.

Perhaps he could truly restore the shattered arm of Great God Pangu. At that time, who could withstand a single blow from him? The Heavenly Dao would be the last one he defeated.

The black stone was also a treasure. He had already refined half of it, and the life force that seeped out could nourish his Primordial Spirit.

Ji Tian placed the water drop on the black soil.

The water drop suddenly grew larger, slowly flowing into the valley, transforming into that peculiar pool. Few could see through its illusory and solid nature; perhaps even the pool itself did not know.

The four silver fish swam leisurely in the black pool.

Ji Tian cupped his fists towards the pool, "I hope my fellow Daoist can overcome tribulation soon."

The pool rippled, condensing into a silvery-white phantom that said to Ji Tian, "Perhaps I too will have a day of enlightenment."

At this moment, a roar erupted from the pool, "You wretch who betrays your master for glory, I will make sure you die a terrible death sooner or later!"

Ji Tian sighed and walked away silently. The deep pool had also prepared a gift for him.

The black rocks were scattered haphazardly, devoid of any life. White bones lay everywhere, a scene of utter whiteness.

Ji Tian walked towards a desolate cave, where a black Bone Dragon trembled within.

Ji Tian said faintly, "Are you willing to follow me?"

The demonic dragon, having lost its former arrogance, had eyes full of desperate hope.

This demonic dragon, after a severe injury, had fallen into the deep pool. Its dragon-shaped skeleton was nourished by the pool's life force. By chance, it cultivated a Primordial Spirit, but it was also constrained by the power within the pool, becoming its guardian.

Now, Ji Tian had helped it remove this restraint.

A peculiar great hall, a Demonic Hall that had injured a Golden Flame level Skeleton Emperor.

The world was shrouded in darkness, appearing utterly lifeless. Ji Tian walked towards the valley where the Demonic Hall was located. Bands of black mist coiled around the bone mountain, instilling dread at the mere sight.

The demonic dragon flew towards the white bone mountain within the valley with extreme reluctance. Under the dark night sky, the hundred-zhang white bone mountain glowed with phosphorescent fire, exuding a chilling aura. The palace on the bone mountain appeared particularly sinister and terrifying in the night, like a giant demon's ferocious head emerging from countless withered bones.

Ji Tian ascended the steps covered in white bones and resolutely walked towards the main entrance of the great hall. The demonic dragon hesitated, roaring repeatedly. It was a fear that came from its soul. Upon reaching the pitch-black, lightless Demonic Hall, it refused to advance any further. Its four bone claws dug hard into the ground, while its hollow eyes revealed terror.

The moment Ji Tian stepped into the grand hall, a blast of cold air hit him. Pushing open the stone door with force, he found himself in a vast, open chamber. Ghost Fires flickered within, their faint green glow making the hall appear exceptionally eerie, like a grim underworld.

The spacious, pitch-black hall was deathly silent. In this darkness where one couldn't see their hand in front of their face, Ji Tian felt his way forward with his keen spiritual sense.

Ji Tian felt an immense pressure, a great might that made his heart palpitate, sending tremors from his very soul.

Demonic energy surged, and an immeasurable spiritual pressure descended. It felt like a mountain was pressing down on his heart, suffocating and unbearable, as if his very spirit was on the verge of collapse.

A nine-headed lion composed of countless black wisps suddenly appeared before Ji Tian.

The strange lion tilted its head, looking at Ji Tian, then closed its eyes and lay down in the hall, as if in thought.

Ji Tian scoffed to himself, It doesn't seem dangerous.

At that moment, the Demonic Clouds swirling around the demonic lion suddenly began to vibrate violently. Black demonic energy surged and churned like a furious, raging sea.

The strange lion roared and howled within, darting about, biting and tearing, as if gone mad.

Ji Tian had a strange sensation, as if his soul were being clutched by someone else, involuntarily swaying with their emotions. He was like a small boat in monstrous waves, tossing and turning violently...

After venting its fury, the nine-headed demonic lion calmed down again. Ji Tian let out a ragged breath, This lion has definitely gone insane.

The nine-headed demonic lion suddenly stood up and let out a long cry to the heavens. An indescribable emptiness, loneliness, and sorrow permeated the entire hall.

Ji Tian was affected by this emotion, tears streaming down his face. Spiritual Power, transformed into liquid, flowed down his eye sockets. His Primordial Spirit trembled faintly, and he quickly gathered Spiritual Power to maintain himself. This was literally going to exhaust him to death.

He was a Primordial Spirit body; if all his Spiritual Power was depleted, he would be finished.

What kind of monster is this? Why is it so erratic?

Ji Tian focused, trying to free himself from the feeling of his soul being clutched, but his soul seemed somewhat out of control. No matter how hard he tried, it felt as if someone else was manipulating him.

This is terrifying. If this strange lion attacked me, my soul would be scattered in an instant.

While the strange lion was calm, Ji Tian quickly entrusted his soul to the black residual bones, perhaps the only way to resist that soul-suppressing force.

Two segments of black residual bones floated in the hall, emitting a faint black glow.

Ji Tian tried hard to recall what kind of monster could possess such powerful soul energy.

Here it comes again. This time, Ji Tian only felt as if the entire world was shaking, but he didn't feel suffocated. These black residual bones were, after all, the remains of Great God Pangu. But this soul's power could still affect him. Could it be a monster on the same level as Great God Pangu?

How is that possible?

Ji Tian sighed, Why am I so plagued by misfortune? Escaping one cage only to enter another.

I can't go on like this. What should I do?