The ball of liquid metal was planning on returning to the main world.

　　The last time, it had finally managed to make an appearance in the main world, seizing the opportunity to convey a message to its other self, but its other half was in such a terrible state that it couldn’t even respond to it. Not only that, but the hidden card it had left behind was also destroyed, and even the Tribulation Mutated Black Metal formation was taken away.

　　This time, it hadn’t been easy for the metal ball to find a suitable ‘contaminated person’. The goal was to take over their body and sneak over to the main world to carry out its grand plan.

　　This plan was extremely important to its existence, so it couldn’t let it fail.

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　“Trace back!” the ball of liquid metal shouted. This time, it definitely had to succeed.

　　“Whirr~” It felt as though the time in the Demonic Tribulation Realm had begun moving backwards.

　　Even though Senior White Two had erased the traces of his existence before he left, the ball of liquid metal was still able to trace back pieces of it.

　　Just because the files have been deleted from the recycling bin, it did not mean that those files had been completely erased from the system. As long as some programs were used, there’d be a way to restore and retrieve some of the files.

　　“Extract!” the ball of liquid metal called out. It exerted its own authority, and a scene formed in the air.

　　It was the scene of the explosion of the nuclear bomb—the light from the explosion was extremely dazzling. The explosion carried with it a faint trace of the heavenly tribulation’s aura, which disgusted the ball of liquid metal.

　　In front of the nuclear bomb’s explosion was a figure of tall stature with a really good-looking posture. He stood with his head bowed while smoking a cigarette, his back was facing the explosion, and he didn’t turn to look back—this guy had guts.

　　Even if you had more guts, it would be useless. Once I have traced back your face, you will be a dead man, the ball of liquid metal said inwardly. It then increased the power it was exerting.

　　In the scene, the face of the man who had lowered his head and was smoking a cigarette gradually became clearer and clearer.

　　What was revealed was an extremely beautiful face. With eyes as dazzling as the stars, he looked like an immortal banished to the world of mortals. Vaguely, the corner of the mouth of the beautiful face seemed to reveal an evil smile.

　　The ball of liquid metal roared, “White, you motherfucker!” A claw grew on the ball, clawing at the ‘scene fragment’ that it had just condensed, scattering it.

　　It had worked hard and wasted time to condense that scene, only to find out that it was a scene of ‘White’ with his back facing an explosion and acting cool.

　　That guy was messing with it again!

　　“Dammit! One day, I will kill you! I will definitely kill you!” the ball of liquid metal repeated again and again.

　　It knew that the scene that it had just traced back had been very likely tampered with.

　　White, what are you trying to do…? The ball of liquid metal pondered.

　　At this moment, far away in the Demonic Tribulation Realm, the sound of thunder could be heard—purple evil lightning had gathered in the distance.

　　The ball of liquid metal raised its head to look into the distance. Then, it took off and flashed towards where the thunder had just rumbled. Regardless of what that White’s plan was, it had to make sure that its plan was progressing smoothly. It couldn’t allow the tribulation of the ‘contaminated person’ to be interfered with.

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　When the ball of liquid metal got up and left… in midair, tiny roots rushed out and extended in the sky. When Song Shuhang was taken away by Senior White Two, these roots of the lotus flower projection were left behind.

　　The roots greedily moved toward the place where the ball of liquid metal ‘vomited out blood’ just now. They seemed to be trying to absorb the power that the ball of liquid metal had left behind!

　　This was an action done by the roots on instinct. After all, Song Shuhang was still in the process of getting ‘transferred’, so he couldn’t possibly be the one controlling these roots.

　　The energy that was left behind by the ball of liquid metal was simply too attractive to the roots, causing them to move over on instinct.

　　The ball of liquid metal, which had already left far, suddenly stopped.

　　It turned to look at the tiny roots.

　　The roots had been too greedy, which allowed the metal ball to detect them.

　　“The roots of the black lotus? No, that’s not it. Are these the roots of the holy lotus?” The eyes of the ball of liquid metal widened.

　　How was this possible?

　　It had secretly given the seed of the holy lotus to the Scholarly Faction a long time ago. Now, the Scholarly Faction had already transformed the seed into the ‘world of the holy lotus’, so how could its roots have entered the Demonic Tribulation Realm?

　　If these weren’t roots of the holy lotus, then what were they? Some imitation of it?

　　Was this also White’s doing? Was he researching the black lotus and the holy lotus?

　　It seemed that White had already successfully researched them.

　　“Damn it,” the ball of liquid metal said coldly.

　　Did it really think that its energy was so easily absorbed?

　　It was the ruler of the Netherworld!

　　“Since I found you, holy lotus, then just go ahead and disappear, :sneer:,” the ball of liquid metal said lightly. The portion of the metal ball’s power that the lotus had absorbed exploded.

　　“Crack~”

　　The lotus roots, which came from Song Shuhang’s lotus flower projection, were blown up in an instant.

　　Not only that, the residual power of the ball of liquid metal followed the roots and headed for the main body. It wanted to directly destroy the ‘holy lotus’.

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　Meanwhile, at an underground laboratory in the Jiangnan area.

　　Song Shuhang looked at his body—it looked like a string of noodles as it was being pulled out from the space.

　　What the hell…

　　He believed that when he and the seniors of the Nine Provinces Number One Group were transferred to the Demonic Tribulation Realm, it was merely an illusion that they were being stretched and twisted.

　　But now, he realized that maybe it wasn’t an illusion. Perhaps their bodies were really stretched and twisted when Senior White Two sent them to the Demonic Tribulation Realm and were restored back to normal after they reached their destination.

　　In this fashion, a noodle-shaped Song Shuhang fell on the ground. Then, his body, as elastic as it was, bounced back to its original state.

　　Song Shuhang: “…”

　　He reached out and felt around his body. Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt. Instead, he was currently having the impression that his height had seemingly increased.

　　I wonder if I’ve really been stretched longer. I guess I’ll measure my height later.

　　Song Shuhang asked, “Senior White, are we safe now?”

　　Senior White Two replied, “Mm-hm, you’re safe now.

　　At the same time, space cracks appeared in the air, and then some ‘recon puppets, small recon aircraft, scripture pages, and butterflies’ exited and fell beside Song Shuhang.

　　These things were released by the daoists of the Nine Provinces Number One Group when they were preparing to look for Xuan Nu Sect’s Skylark in the Demonic Tribulation Realm.

　　Now, they were all returned by Senior White Two.

　　If these things were left in the Demonic Tribulation Realm and found by the ball of liquid metal, the other party would be able to see through the identity of their owners by ‘tracing’ the objects back.

　　When Song Shuhang saw the items, he understood immediately. “Thank you, Senior White.”

　　As they were talking, the lotus flower projection on Song Shuhang’s chest suddenly swelled up.

　　[The roots have been found by the ball of liquid metal!] Song Shuhang realized immediately.

　　So, he quickly made a decision, and he took the initiative to cut off the connection between the lotus root projection and his Inner World.

　　His Inner World was different from the Scholarly Faction’s world of the golden lotus.

　　If the golden lotus of the Scholarly Faction was destroyed, it wouldn’t be able to evolve into the world of the golden lotus. But Song Shuhang’s lotus flower was only a projection, and it could even be sealed and turned into a mana replenishing artifact.

　　When Song Shuhang cut off the connection between the lotus flower and the Inner World, the lotus flower projection began to expand.

　　“White, you’re too greedy. I shall take the life of this holy lotus! :smug_smile:” From inside the lotus flower, the voice of the ball of liquid metal was heard.

　　This voice was just a kind of ‘recording’, for the consciousness of the ball of liquid metal couldn’t enter the main world. Once it entered, it would be forced to face the heavenly tribulation, leading to its demise.

　　The lotus flower projection exploded. In the next moment, endless amounts of evil energy of the Netherworld gushed out of it, instantly filling up the entire underground laboratory.

　　The little amount of energy that the lotus roots had absorbed from the ball of liquid metal come from something akin to its blood essence.

　　When the energy was released completely, it was extremely terrifying.

　　The virtuous lamia appeared, wrapping around Song Shuhang, and repelling the evil energy of the Netherworld so as to prevent it from contaminating Song Shuhang.

　　“Heheheheh, unfortunately… that holy lotus wasn’t mine,” Senior White said with a smile as his figure appeared.

　　After his appearance, Senior White Two stretched out his hand, and the evil energy of the Netherworld which covered the place was gathered together. In the end, it was condensed into a pitch-black orb the size of a football, rolling around in the palm of Senior White Two.

　　“Here you go.” Senior White Two threw the evil energy of the Netherworld to Song Shuhang.

　　Now, the will of the ball of liquid metal had disappeared from the evil energy of the Netherworld. As such, it was now something without an owner, and could be absorbed by Song Shuhang.

　　Song Shuhang didn’t stand on ceremony. He mobilized his Inner World once again, and condensed a new lotus flower projection. Then, tens of thousands of transparent roots embedded themselves into the ball of evil energy, absorbing the energy frantically.

　　As the evil energy of the Netherworld was being absorbed, Song Shuhang’s Inner World began to grow at a visible speed.

　　He had profited.

　　“Unfortunately, the energy that guy sent over was just a small bit. If you could absorb all of its ‘blood essence’, then your Inner World would double in size,” Senior White Two said.

　　“It’s fine, there will be more chances,” Song Shuhang said.

　　Senior Skylark seemed to have been completely contaminated, and had thus become an existence similar to a Netherworld demon, but she seemed to have retained her consciousness.

　　If she succeeded in transcending the demonic tribulation and ascended to the Eighth Stage, she should be able to return to the main world from the Demonic Tribulation Realm.

　　At that moment, perhaps she would want to get rid of the evil energy which had contaminated her…

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　Inside the Inner World.

　　The members of the Nine Provinces Number One Group, as well as Demon Monarch Nirvana, Little Cai, Shi, and others, were all placed in the Desert Oasis, the third immortal cave that the Scholarly Faction gave Shuhang.

　　True Monarch Eternal Fire recognized the place. After all, he had personally given this ancient Heavenly City fragment to Shuhang. He raised his head and looked into the distance.

　　Eh? The Heavenly City fragments… how come they’re all connected?