In that distant fragment of the Heavenly City known as ‘Jade Lake Realm’, Song Shuhang suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine.

　　“How come I felt a shiver run down my spine just now? The flames of virtue were burning up to a moment ago. As such, my body should be still scalding hot!” Song Shuhang muttered to himself.

　　Then, he gazed toward Senior White, and said, “Senior White has yet to finish?”

　　Su Clan’s Sixteen said, “The Jade Lake Realm is very big, and even with the core in hand, it’s not easy to support the whole thing. Speaking of which, how come you haven’t deactivated your Three Heads and Six Arms mode yet?”

　　“I almost forgot about it.” Song Shuhang needed but a thought to make that stickman made of solidified light of virtue return back into his body. At this time, only the indistinct projection of the ‘lotus flower’ that the nucleus in his Heart Aperture had created was left outside. The lotus flower was still greedily absorbing the evil energy of the Netherworld outside. From the looks of it, it wouldn’t give up until it had absorbed all the evil energy in the Jade Lake Realm.

　　After that stickman made of solidified light of virtue disappeared, Senior Sister Ye Si didn’t keep up the Two Heads and Four Arms mode, and returned back to Song Shuhang’s body.

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　In a distant place, Venerable White slowly raised his hands until they reached the area above his head.

　　The phoenix coronet swayed, and the phoenix robe fluttered in the wind.

　　“Phew~” At this time, Venerable White suddenly opened his eyes and revealed a satisfied expression.

　　Song Shuhang asked, “Senior White, you succeeded?”

　　Venerable White kept his hands raised, and said, “It’s all taken care of… hmm, you two stand properly and don’t move. We are leaving this place!”

　　Behind Venerable White, the monster willow Qing Wu coiled her willow branches around Demon Venerable Lushan Street’s small teapot and arrived next to Song Shuhang and Su Clan’s Sixteen.

　　In the next moment, blue-colored radiance spread in the surrounding area, covering Song Shuhang, Su Clan’s Sixteen, and the monster willow, forming a barrier around them.

　　The barrier shone slightly, and Song Shuhang felt his body shake immediately after.

　　In the next moment… they had already left that small independent dimension, returning to the surface of the Jade Lake Realm.

　　“Teleportation?” Su Clan’s Sixteen asked. However, the feeling was somewhat different from when Senior White used his own teleportation skill earlier.

　　The nearby Venerable White kept his hands high as he replied, “Yes, it’s a teleportation skill. But just now, I didn’t use my own space-related innate skill to make you leave that place. I used my authority as the master of the Jade Lake Realm to instantly move you here. While in the Jade Lake Realm, I need but a thought to teleport anywhere within its boundaries. It’s worthy of something that an Immortal personally created; some of its features are really convenient.”

　　“Senior White, were you able to successfully take over the Jade Lake Realm?” Song Shuhang asked.

　　“Of course!” The corner of Venerable White’s mouth rose. “At first, I was worried that it would be somewhat troublesome to support the whole Jade Lake Realm with the current level of my strength. After all, the original master of this place was an Immortal. Therefore, I was ready to give up on a few parts of the Jade Lake Realm and retain only the core region. But when I took over the Jade Lake Realm, I discovered that the energy needed to preserve it was much lower than what I had initially thought.”

　　Before dissipating, that woman with the beauty mark had said that Venerable White would be able to support the whole Jade Lake Realm only after he had advanced to the Ninth Stage Realm. But now, it turned out that Venerable White was able to easily support the whole Jade Lake Realm even with the current level of his strength.

　　After saying this much, Venerable White finally lowered his hands. Then, he gazed at the huge Jade Lake Realm before his eyes and started to ponder about something.

　　“Senior White, Senior White?” Song Shuhang cautiously called him out.

　　However, Venerable White didn’t reply to his call. It seemed he was earnestly pondering about something.

　　“That’s bad, Senior White is distracted,” Song Shuhang said. “Draw back… everyone, quickly draw back! Let’s retreat 300 meters— no, let’s make it 500 to be safe.”

　　While distracted, Venerable White was prone to creating sinkholes. Therefore, it was better to keep a certain distance for safety purposes.

　　After hearing his words, Su Clan’s Sixteen and the monster willow quietly retreated 500 meters, looking from afar at the distracted Venerable White.

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　After a short moment, Venerable White gently pounded on the palm of his right hand with his left fist, and said, “As expected… no wonder I felt that there was something missing! Since I’ve already taken over the Jade Lake Realm, I can’t let it stay in this state!”

　　After saying this much, Venerable White turned his head around and discovered that Song Shuhang and the others were standing very far from him.

　　“What are you guys doing?” Venerable White said.

　　“Nothing, nothing. We were just cooling ourselves off,” Song Shuhang said with a serious expression on his face.

　　“Do you need to go that far to cool yourselves off?” Venerable White waved his hand, and said, “Don’t worry, I didn’t get distracted just now, and even if I were to get distracted… you wouldn’t be able to escape just by standing 500 meters afar.”

　　“…” Song Shuhang. Did it mean that the power of Venerable White’s ability to stumble on flat ground and create sinkholes had increased yet again?

　　“However, it’s a good thing that you are standing there. You will avoid getting involved in what I’m going to do next. Qing Wu, create a barrier to protect Shuhang and Sixteen. Some of the shock waves might reach your location,” Venerable White said.

　　The monster willow Qing Wu obediently created a barrier and protected Song Shuhang and Su Clan’s Sixteen.

　　“Senior White, what are you going to do next?” Su Clan’s Sixteen asked out of curiosity.

　　“I want to reactive the Jade Lake Realm and make it return to what it was in the past. If I fail, things might get stormy. Therefore, pay attention to your safety,” Venerable White said as he took out again the sealed lotus flower.

　　There was still a lot of spiritual energy stored inside the lotus flower, enough for Venerable White to restore his spiritual energy several times.

　　After seeing the lotus flower in Venerable White’s hand, Song Shuhang lowered his head and gazed at the new lotus flower that the nucleus in his Heart Aperture had projected out of his chest. This new lotus flower looked the same as the old one. After all, they were just projections.

　　Anyway, if this new lotus flower was sealed as well, what would happen to the evil energy of the Netherworld Realm it had absorbed?

　　Would it change into a type of energy that cultivators could use to replenish their own, just like the energy inside that lotus flower in Venerable White’s hand? Or would it change into a type of energy that only the demons of the Netherworld could make use of?

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　But right at this time, Venerable White started reactivating the Jade Lake Realm.

　　“Start!” Senior White gently shouted. In the next moment, a huge amount of spiritual energy stormed out of his body, pouring into the Jade Lake Realm through the phoenix coronet and phoenix robe he was wearing.

　　The whole Jade Lake Realm began to shake.

　　In the next moment, vegetation started to grow in the surrounding wilderness at speed visible to the naked eye. The withered big trees absorbed the spiritual energy and grew out new branches and buds in the time it took to breathe two or three times. Sweet spring water gushed out of the ground and filled once more the dried up small streams and riverbed, moistening them and filling them with new life.

　　At this moment, Venerable White was pouring new life into the lifeless Jade Lake Realm.

　　Song Shuhang sighed with emotion, and said, “It feels as if a miracle is taking place right before my eyes.”

　　Unfortunately, he wasn’t that talented when it came to making videos. Otherwise, if he had recorded the whole scene down, it would have surely blinded all those that saw it with how amazing it was.

　　“It feels like the creation of a new world.” Su Clan’s Sixteen was likewise amazed.

　　“Perhaps this is one of the secrets of the Immortals of the ancient Heavenly City? In their own small realm, which belongs exclusively to them, they are an existence akin to ‘God’. After all, the Jade Lake Realm looks like an independent world that was created from scratch,” Senior Sister Ye Si said.

　　An independent world that was created from scratch?

　　Song Shuhang couldn’t help but recall ‘Wielder of the Will Striped Dragon’—whom he met when he was dreaming of the life of the ‘Virtuous Golden Lotus’—and those two worlds that the golden and black lotus flowers had created. In fact, what ‘Wielder of the Will Striped Dragon’ was doing back then also involved the creation of a new world!

　　When the Heavenly Emperor founded the ancient Heavenly City, was the emperor also planning to create a new world?

　　Speaking of which, was the Heavenly Emperor still alive?

　　If the emperor lived, the pearl lived; if the emperor died, the pearl died.

　　Since the Imperial Pearl suddenly broke, it meant that something unexpected had happened to the Heavenly Emperor, right?

　　Whatever… whether the Heavenly Emperor was alive or not, it had nothing to do with Song Shuhang.

　　In addition, if the destruction of the Crystal-Clear Water Pavilion back then was really related to the Heavenly City, Song Shuhang would be happy with the death of the Heavenly Emperor. After all, he was someone with close ties to the Crystal-Clear Water Pavilion.

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　At this moment, the Jade Lake Realm was still coming back to life, and spring had returned to the land. The wilderness had changed into a grassland. The withered forest was now once again lush, and the dried up rivers were filled with cool spring water.

　　“Now, the final step!” Venerable White raised both his hands high and spiritual energy blasted out of his body.

　　In the whole Jade Lake Realm, the place that needed the most care was also the most important one—the dried up Jade Lake.

　　At this time, those several female guards at the bottom of the Jade Lake had come out of the soil and were absent-mindedly looking at the myriad changes taking place in the Jade Lake Realm.

　　“The Jade Lake Realm is coming back to life!” the silver-armored female guard said happily.

　　“Has our master returned? Or perhaps it’s the Heavenly Emperor that has come back to rebuild the Heavenly City?” A likewise excited voice was transmitted from behind her back.

　　“I have no idea, but I was really hoping that the Jade Lake could one day be restored. I’ve been waiting for this day for a very long time.” The silver-armored female guard gently jumped, reaching the shore of the Jade Lake. Then, she knelt and used her hands covered with steel to carefully touch the green grass on the ground.

　　This scene made her recall memories from a long, long time ago. In ancient times, the edge of the Jade Lake was just like this, full of vitality.

　　Back then, the edges of the Jade Lake were full of spirit grass and spirit plants. Countless spirit medicine had turned into spirits thanks to the spiritual energy of the Jade Lake and would sing and dance on the shore of the lake.

　　At that time, the Jade Lake was like a paradise within the Heavenly City.

　　The silver-armored female guard turned her head around and looked at the dried up Jade Lake.

　　Would the most important and treasured land of the Jade Lake Realm return to its former glory today?

　　“Boom, boom, boom~”

　　In the sky, a huge quantity of spiritual energy gathered together and covered the Jade Lake.

　　Afterward, that huge amount of spiritual energy tyrannically rushed toward the Jade Lake.

　　“It’s coming!” the silver-armored female guard said in a soft voice as she tightly clenched her fists.

　　In the next moment, equally tyrannical energy that belonged to the Netherworld Realm broke out from the bottom of the Jade Lake, transforming into a ferocious wild beast that bared its fangs and rushed toward that mass of spiritual energy in the air.

　　Back in the day, the Heavenly City was broken into pieces, and the Jade Lake Realm likewise fell.

　　The most important place of the Jade Lake Realm, the Jade Lake, was the one that got contaminated the most with the foul energy of the Netherworld Realm.

　　If one wanted to restore the Jade Lake to its previous state, they would first have to take care of this energy of the Netherworld contaminating it…