But if it were to increase the power of the demonic tribulation now, wouldn’t the metal ball feel as though it had been threatened and had to compromise?

　　The ball of liquid metal didn’t like this very much.

　　However… if it didn’t increase the power of the demonic tribulation, the ‘contaminated person’ would very likely leave the demonic tribulation.

　　The ball of liquid metal fell deep in thought.

　　It thought for a short while and decided to continue on with what it had already planned.

　　This was the Demonic Tribulation Realm, how could the ‘contaminated person’ play tricks here?

　　She will transcend it if she wants, and if she doesn’t want to, then I’ll force her to transcend it!

　　As for not wanting to transcend the tribulation and wanting to leave?

　　Not a chance!

　　Now that you’ve entered the Demonic Tribulation Realm, you can’t just stop halfway. You’ll either ascend and become a Netherworld Sage or die trying. Do you really think this is your home’s garden or something? It’s not place where you can come and go as you please.

　　In any case, the power of the demonic tribulation shall remain the same; it shall neither increase nor decrease. If you like it, then you can have fun with it; if you don’t like it, then you will have to put up with it. Obediently wait for this wave of the ‘constant power’ and ‘constant speed’ demonic tribulation to finish and become a Netherworld Sage!

　　Or so the ball of liquid metal thought to itself.

　　The only exception would be if the brain of the ‘contaminated person’ went bad, and she gave up resisting, and then lay down to wait to be chopped up by the tribulation lightning, seeking her own death.

　　However, be it the practitioners of the main world or the demons of the Netherworld, the purpose of their bitter cultivation was to achieve immortality, so where would you find someone willing to lay down and let themselves be attacked by lightning? One should know that once they died from tribulation lightning, it would be truly the end for them.

　　Just as the ball of liquid metal was thinking this…

　　Under the demonic tribulation, Skylark reached out and flung her long hair. Then, she dispersed the thick ice around her body. Whether it was the ice being used for offense or defense, she dispersed all of it.

　　Then, she took off her daoist robe and stored it away, leaving only ordinary clothes on her person. Those clothes were the kind that you could buy at any ordinary people’s clothing shop—they had no trace of magical energy whatsoever.

　　Skylark lay down right where she was and waited for the demonic lightning to strike down on her body.

　　The ball of liquid metal: “…”

　　F*cking hell, does she have a screw loose?

　　“BOOM~”

　　Purple demonic lightning fell on Skylark from the sky, scattering what remained of her defenses.

　　“Aaaah~” Skylark screamed delightfully.

　　In the end, it was still a demonic tribulation of the Eighth Stage. Even though the ball of liquid metal had deliberately reduced its strength, it still had power around the middle of the Seventh Stage. In addition to that, the special attribute of the ‘demonic tribulation’ dealt bonus damage to creatures of the Netherworld and beings like Skylark who were in a ‘contaminated’ state.

　　After this wave of the demonic tribulation, Skylark’s body twitched uncontrollably. Currents flowed through her body, and demonic fire invaded it, burning her internal organs. In addition to that, the power of the inner demon also brought Skylark’s soul into a cruel illusion where it was tortured.

　　“Aaaaah, it huuuuurts,” Skylark screamed while reaching into her pocket to take out her tailor-made phone. She adjusted the angle and then took a few selfies while the demonic tribulation was descending upon her.

　　It would be a waste not to take a photo of such a beautiful lady in distress, wouldn’t it?

　　Perhaps I can use this photo to stir Fellow Daoist Thrice Reckless’ feelings in the future.

　　“BOOM~” Another wave of tribulation lightning fell on her body.

　　Skylark quickly put away her phone and continued to lay on the ground, quietly while clenching her teeth and bearing the violent strikes of the purple lightning.

　　The ball of liquid metal: “…”

　　What in the world is this person trying to do? Why is she doing this? Tell me, WHY?!

　　She’s simply seeking death, isn’t she?

　　I’ve never seen someone with such strange reasoning! For her to actually just give up on transcending the tribulation just because it wasn’t fun?! Does she really have to lie down and put away all of her defenses, and even make herself look like she doesn’t want to live?!

　　She was really seeking death!

　　How could someone like her survive until now? What was more, she was even able to reach the Seventh Stage Venerable Realm?

　　[Wait, could it be that she has perceived my existence? Is she testing me?] The ball of liquid metal suddenly thought of a possibility.

　　But immediately afterward, it denied it.

　　The woman couldn’t have noticed anything from the beginning to the end; the way it used to enter the Demonic Tribulation Realm was something it had just come up with. Other than its old enemy, White, it was absolutely impossible for others to detect its existence.

　　“BOOOOM~”

　　The demonic tribulation remained at the same level, and once again exploded on Skylark’s body with the same amount of power.

　　Skylark had already been struck by lightning all over her body, and her long blue hair was showing signs of getting burnt.

　　Demonic fire also accompanied the wave of the demonic tribulation, which made her directly pass out…

　　But even so, Skylark didn’t resist.

　　As such, she was now curled up, lying on the ground, neither resisting, nor defending, attacking, avoiding, and healing. She had completely given up on saving herself.

　　If this were to go on, there would only be one end for her––death!

　　[This person can’t possibly be actually seeking death, right?] The ball of liquid metal was inexplicably upset.

　　This person was related to its grand plan. If she were to die, it would have to look for another suitable ‘contaminated person’, and nobody knew how long that would take.

　　Additionally, time was something it was short on now. Its counterpart’s state was getting worse and worse, so it didn’t have much time left.

　　What should it do?

　　Did it really have to compromise and increase the power output of the demonic tribulation to satisfy the ‘contaminated person’? Reigniting her motivation and getting her to take the tribulation seriously?

　　The ball of liquid metal pondered for another moment.

　　Bah, never.

　　How did people with such bad habits even appear? It must be due to them being spoiled!

　　Therefore, it definitely couldn’t spoil her further.

　　The ball of liquid metal thought, I should weaken the power of the demonic tribulation even further so that it wouldn’t be able to kill this ‘contaminated person’. That way, she can successfully transcend the tribulation without even trying.

　　Do you want to lie down and get struck to death by the demonic tribulation? Then, just continue lying down as I force you to ascend to the Eighth Stage regardless!

　　And so, the ball of liquid metal once again used its authority of the ruler of the Netherworld and modified Skylark’s heavenly tribulation.

　　The heavenly tribulation of the Eighth Stage was now releasing the lowest level of power it could.

　　Even for the ball of liquid metal, it was impossible to lower the power of the heavenly tribulation to the Third or Fourth Stage.

　　Thus, when it made its move, it could only reduce the power of Skylark’s demonic tribulation to the initial level of the Seventh Stage.

　　As such, the power of the demonic tribulation was no longer fatal to Skylark, who had strength and a physical body at the peak of the Seventh Stage. At most, it could strike her to the point where she would be half-dead.

　　As long as she didn’t die, and was able to smoothly ascend, the metal ball would be fine with it.

　　The ball of liquid metal was very satisfied with its plan.

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　Xuan Nu Sect’s Skylark, who was originally curled up into a ball, slightly opened her eyes, and then she looked towards the sky in confusion.

　　It seemed that the power of the demonic tribulation had become even weaker.

　　Previously, when the demonic tribulation exploded on her body, she could still feel sharp pain, but when the demonic tribulation fell on her body now, the pain was not even half as much as before.

　　“What the hell… why did the power of the heavenly tribulation get weaker? Could it be that I’ve gotten used to it due to having been repeatedly struck by lightning?” Xuan Nu Sect’s Skylark got up. At this moment, there were no longer any clothes on her body. The clothes she was wearing were ordinary clothes, and as she had completely given up on resisting and defending, they naturally couldn’t withstand the demonic tribulation.

　　“Boom~”

　　When the demonic tribulation fell on Skylark’s body, she carefully analyzed it.

　　Skylark: “…”

　　The power really got weaker—the power that had originally been around the middle of the Seventh Stage was now around the beginning of the Seventh Stage.

　　Facing such a weak attack, even if she gave up all of her defenses and was seriously injured, she wouldn’t die.

　　“How regretful,” Skylark muttered.

　　The main world’s heavenly tribulation was clearly more powerful; she’d had to have a stroke to actually come and attempt to transcend this demonic tribulation, which had no meaning to it at all.

　　She sat down cross-legged, rested her chin on her hand, and took on the explosions of the demonic tribulation.

　　At this pace, even without defending against the demonic tribulation, wouldn’t she still be able to transcend it?

　　“If it’s like this, then what’s the point in ascending to the Eighth Stage?” Skylark sighed softly.

　　In the Nine Provinces Number One Group, when the other Venerables transcended their tribulation, there were guided missiles, tanks, nuclear bombs, and hydrogen bombs. There was so much excitement during every wave, with every wave bringing them close to death.

　　After their success, these fellow daoists would be able to share the experiences they had with the heavenly tribulation of the Eighth Stage with the later generations—experiences filled with excitement and vital knowledge.

　　But what about her?

　　She even withdrew all of her defenses, lay around like a dead fish, and still reached the Eighth Stage

　　At that time, how was she supposed to share her experiences with the later generations?

　　She couldn’t just let the later generations seek death like her, withdrawing their defenses, and transcend their tribulation while acting like ordinary people, could she?

　　Skylark felt very tired.

　　She raised her head to look at the weak tribulation clouds.

　　Could there really be no way to make the heavenly tribulation stronger?

　　Wait… right!

　　I can increase the power of the demonic tribulation myself!

　　She could just do it herself.

　　❮Thoughts on how to increase the power of the heavenly tribulation.❯

　　There was a very simple method… a method that didn’t discriminate between practitioners of different systems. It was a method which had several practitioners come together and transcend the tribulation together—at that time, the heavenly tribulation’s power wouldn’t be something as simple as an addition.

　　But there was a problem…

　　The heavenly tribulation of the Eighth Stage pulled one into a small independent realm, and there was only Skylark in the entire Demonic Tribulation Realm.

　　Where was she going to look for another fellow daoist to accompany her in transcending the tribulation?

　　Hm, there was a way.

　　Skylark put her hands together, and drew a spherical defensive formation.

　　She reached into the defensive formation, and took out a sealed piece of scrap paper.

　　“Hello, hello~ Banknote, are you there? Can you hear me?” Xuan Nu Sect’s Skylark called out to the piece of scrap paper.

　　After about ten breaths’ time…

　　The piece of scrap paper moved. “F*ck, what’s happening? Why can I see you? Where is this place?”

　　“This is the Demonic Tribulation Realm,” Xuan Nu Sect’s Skylark said with a smile. “Fellow Daoist Banknote, are you interested in transcending the tribulation with me?”

　　“Wait, why am I here? Skylark, what did you do to me?” The piece of scrap paper asked in panic.