The black light emitted by the clam demon was viscous like ink, suffocating.
Ming Yue, caught within it, struggled continuously.
Like a fish out of water, she found it difficult to breathe.
At this moment, Ji Shiyou attacking her made her extremely angry.
"Ji Shiyou, you petty man.
I didn't pursue the matter when you abandoned me and fled earlier.
I merely offered a suggestion, and you attacked me.
I'm breaking off all ties with you, and I'll never speak to you again!"
Having taken a palm strike from Ji Shiyou to her head, Ming Yue cursed furiously.
"It seems your friendship is nothing special.
I say, little tree demon, there's no need to rush.
This black light is formed from my inner core. It can dissolve souls and spirits, corroding cultivation and magical power.
Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, your souls and cultivation will be completely eroded.
Only the lingering spirit will remain, becoming a vengeful spirit.
At that time, I will let him devour your body, and then let you devour his.
The two of you, you in me, and me in you.
Only one of the two vengeful spirits will remain, and it will be time to fight then."
The clam demon, watching the two fight within the black mist, spoke sarcastically from the side.
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, he became uneasy.
Because within the black light, golden light erupted.
A golden barrier enveloped Ming Yue.
"Weren't you just attacking me?"
Ming Yue, also confused, looked at Ji Shiyou in surprise.
"Hurry and come closer, I can't hold on much longer."
Ji Shiyou managed to utter a few words with great effort; he was out of strength.
The thick black light made it difficult for him to breathe.
His soul felt as if it were about to shatter.
He had been cursing Ming Yue earlier, and it was all a show for the clam demon.
Because he was enveloped by the light, even mobilizing his entire strength made his movements sluggish.
He feared the clam demon would see through his act and intervene.
The palm strike he had aimed at Ming Yue earlier was not meant to hit her.
It was to activate the golden crown on her head, which was a magical artifact.
It did not require the support of magical power, only activation through a special technique.
It would emit a protective golden light. Back in the valley of Mount Sifang,
he had used this artifact to protect Tian Jian and others.
But Ming Yue, that slow-witted fellow, was protected by the golden crown and didn't care about him.
He didn't have the strength to walk over; why wasn't she coming over? Ji Shiyou felt indignant.
"Oh, I didn't notice.
Ji Shiyou, let's discuss something.
I've been wearing this golden crown for so long, you must dislike it.
Don't you want it anymore? Can you give it to me?"
The golden light repelled the black light, leaving Ming Yue unaffected.
She quickly moved to Ji Shiyou's side and pulled him into the range of the golden light.
Then, shamelessly, she began to demand the golden crown, her greedy nature flaring up again.
"My ancestor, what time is this? You're still thinking about external possessions.
While our golden crown can temporarily resist this,
our cultivation cannot recover. We will eventually be drained and die here.
What good are possessions when life is lost?"
Ji Shiyou's face turned dark. He was so angry with Ming Yue that he felt like spitting blood, gritting his teeth as he spoke.
"Just tell me if you'll give it to me or not. Even if I possess it for just one second,
and then die, I would feel very happy."
Ming Yue was insistent, thinking that Ji Shiyou simply didn't want to give it to her,
and was beating around the bush, saying useless things.
"Give it, give it, give it!"
Ji Shiyou, unwilling to argue further, said angrily.
His eyes remained fixed on the clam demon seated on the purple-gold throne, but his mind was racing.
Why hadn't he stood up from the very beginning?
And the vengeful spirits were so important to him. Earlier, when he was outside,
and destroying the vengeful demon, the clam demon hadn't intervened.
Could it be that he couldn't leave that chair?
Or perhaps, he couldn't leave this palace?
With this thought, Ji Shiyou pulled Ming Yue, who had a delighted expression,
and headed towards the entrance again. However, the golden light was enveloped by the viscous black light.
They moved with great difficulty, their speed not much faster than a snail.
Seeing them trying to escape again, the clam demon intensified the output of the black light.
This increased the pressure on Ji Shiyou and Ming Yue, forcing them to stop.
They stopped, but the clam demon did not.
He waved his hands, and the black light enveloping the golden light
began to surge like waves, coalescing into a sphere of light.
It then began to spin rapidly, catching Ji Shiyou and Ming Yue completely off guard.
They were lifted off their feet, and their bodies tumbled uncontrollably within the sphere of light.
With a clatter, something seemed to fall to the ground.
"Why is Jing Jia's golden hairpin on you?
What have you done to her?"
The black light suddenly vanished, and the clam demon's enraged roar echoed in their ears.
Ji Shiyou and Ming Yue landed back on the ground and looked at the clam demon.
He was holding a golden hairpin in his hand, the very one that the vengeful demon had possessed in the dilapidated temple.
Ji Shiyou was also confused as to why the hairpin was there and looked at Ming Yue.
"I just felt it would be a waste.
Besides, I checked, and it's not gold-plated.
It's pure gold, pure gold!
Since none of you wanted it, I kept it."
Ming Yue looked somewhat guilty. The previous day, when Ji Shiyou had used his dan fire to refine the vengeful demon,
the red wedding dress had turned to ash.
Everyone thought the golden hairpin had also been destroyed.
As they were leaving, the sharp-eyed Ming Yue saw a flash of gold amidst the ashes.
She discovered that the hairpin was still intact, not damaged at all.
Being the greedy one, she took advantage of everyone's inattention.
She secretly picked it up and tucked it into her robes.
During the tumbling just now, the hairpin had fallen from her robes.
It had been caught by the clam demon, who was unexpectedly reacting so strongly.
"Speak, why is this golden hairpin in your possession?"
The clam demon clutched the hairpin tightly, glaring at Ming Yue.
"Do you want to know? Then let us go."
Ji Shiyou, with shrewd bargaining, answered first.
He was afraid that the foolish Ming Yue would blurt out directly
that they had destroyed a vengeful demon and obtained the golden hairpin.
From the look of things, the vengeful demon he had killed must have been the Jing Jia the clam demon spoke of.
If the clam demon knew Jing Jia had died at their hands, he would surely go berserk.
"Heh, impossible!
After so many years, I finally have a trace of Jing Jia.
I will not let you go.
The hope of Jing Jia's resurrection lies with you.
If you don't speak, don't blame me for searching your souls."
The clam demon did not accept their threat and attacked them directly.
He raised his hand and unleashed a wave of light, intending to use the soul-searching technique to extract Ji Shiyou and Ming Yue's memories.
Seeing the light wave approaching, Ji Shiyou reached up, took the golden crown from Ming Yue's head.
His hands moved rapidly, instantly changing through twelve hand seals, and he struck the golden crown twelve times.
Before the soul-searching technique could hit them, the golden crown transformed into a giant golden lotus.
It enveloped them, blocking the wave of light.
Thus, a standoff ensued within the purple-gold hall.
Ji Shiyou and Ming Yue, relying on the golden crown, blocked the soul-searching technique.
However, their cultivation was suppressed, preventing them from moving.
They could not open the door either, nor could they leave.
The clam demon sat there, ignoring them.
He let the light wave from his attack clash with the golden crown, while he stared at the golden hairpin in his hand, lost in thought.
It seemed as if he was gazing at a flower, lost in contemplation.
"Hey, this is too boring.
Since we can't escape anyway, we're going to die sooner or later.
How about this? Tell us.
What story do you have with that Jing Jia?
Why do you want to resurrect her? That way, even if we die,
we'll die as informed spirits. What do you think?"
Ming Yue, bored within the golden lotus,
felt her gossip-mongering fire ignite and spoke to the clam demon, making conversation.
Ji Shiyou remained silent, but his eyes conveyed disdain.
This brainless woman. They were enemies with the clam demon, life-and-death enemies.
And she wanted to chat with the clam demon to relieve boredom. It was unlikely he'd even bother with her!
"Do you want to know? I'll tell you.
I've been alone at the bottom of this pool for a hundred years. I also want to find someone to talk to."
To Ji Shiyou's surprise, the clam demon agreed.