The strain on Zhang Dong was immense. With each passing moment, the Overseer puppet's resistance grew stronger, its form warping and changing in desperate attempts to break free. Its sickle-like appendages thrashed about, aiming to strike at Zhang Dong, who was doing his best to fend off the attacks while maintaining the delicate balance of his own cultivation.
The meadow quaked as the puppet tried to free itself from the hold. The intricate formations glowed brightly, struggling to contain the otherworldly power of the Overseer. The air crackled with energy, and the very ground beneath Zhang Dong's feet trembled as he fought to keep the puppet at bay. The transference of data to get Bob in there had slowed down as the strange being was trying to halt the spread of the corruption. Even though more than 70% of Bob had been uploaded, it was about to break free.
"Shit… I guess we need to go with plan B. Bob, continue with the transfer while I keep this thing busy!"
Zhang Dong gritted his teeth as he forced himself to rise from the lotus position. Though he had successfully unlocked the seed and transcended the boundaries of this realm, he had yet to ascend to the immortal stage. His power was immense, but whether it would prove sufficient to contend with the puppet before him remained uncertain.
Anticipating such a scenario, Zhang Dong had readied a set of countermeasures. Even if the smaller formation encircling the meadow were to be obliterated, Bob could proceed with the upload unabated. The entire hidden ground had been reshaped, ensuring that as long as this powerful creature remained here, the transfer could persist. Thus, he needed to delay the monster's progress for as long as it was humanly possible.
Harnessing the recently acquired spiritual energy, he endured the surging pain that coursed through his body. In his current, incomplete state, he needed to momentarily suspend the germination process to concentrate on the battle at hand. The tiny seed had already evolved into a sprout of sorts, an entity eager to grow further. Deep within his soul, a primal urge urged him to grow stronger, to ascend to new heights, but he resolutely suppressed it to prevent his body from entering a suspended state. He was well aware that allowing it to progress unhindered would render him immobilized, leaving him vulnerable to the Overseer puppet's impending assault.
Instead, he thrust his palm forward at the foe capable of time manipulation. With his newfound power, he managed to move within the frozen landscape. The flailing puppet, struggling to break free from its temporal restraints, was forcibly propelled backward by a colossal golden palm. It soared several kilometers into the distance, colliding with numerous trees and massive boulders before becoming lodged in the side of a mountain.
"Bob, how are we doing on the transfer?"
"Transferring data... 74%...74,1%..."
"Still going slow huh? Try to increase the rate, I don't think I will last too long in this state!"
Zhang Dong ascended into the air and extended his hand towards his adversary. His opponent had succeeded in freeing itself, but the grip on the world appeared to falter. The frozen landscape began to shift, indicating that its control over the Dao of time was not an enduring capability. This was understandable, considering that the puppet was not a genuine immortal, and its cultivation realm existed in a realm similar to the stage he currently occupied.
A barrage of spiritual blasts erupted from his outstretched hand, surging in the direction the puppet had been flung. Zhang Dong's aim wasn't necessarily to win the battle, but rather to prevent himself from suffering severe injuries. As long as he could keep the puppet occupied, victory would eventually be within his grasp.
The puppet, though momentarily immobilized, was still far from vanquished. It writhed and twisted, persistently striving to extricate itself from the mountainside. Once it emerged from its entrapment, a deluge of golden energy rays rained down upon its body. However, now that the puppet had regained its freedom, it was no longer such an easy target.
The Overseer puppet responded with speed and tenacity. It morphed and adapted, forming a crystalline shield that absorbed Zhang Dong's golden energy blasts. The ground beneath it shifted as it received all of the golden blasts that were intended for the Overseer. Even though thousands of rays descended from afar, none of them could break through the shield made of a strange crystal substance.
He did not relent as his attempt was not to defeat but to hinder. However, his enemy didn't seem perturbed by this form of range attack and started pushing forth while encased in the strange crystalline formation. To stop him he decided to use a more concentrated attack that he conjured up through his finger tip.
Raising his hand, a colossal surge of spiritual energy burst forth from his fingertip. Instead of a scattered array of blasts, it manifested as a single, intense concentrated beam of energy. It streaked forward, colliding with the shield erected by the monster. Upon impact, the beam splintered into smaller beams that scattered throughout the environment. Some of these beams struck the ground, while others ricocheted upward, puncturing the ceiling.
The hidden secret ground had been concealed deep underground, shielded by an intricate network of ancient formations that kept it concealed from prying eyes. However, even these formidable ancient barriers were now unable to contain the sheer power of Zhang Dong's energy beams, which exceeded the capacity of this world to endure. As they erupted, they wreaked havoc, obliterating the surroundings and any creatures that ventured too close.
'It was a good idea to move all the cities away from this location, there are no humans within a thousand kilometers…'
He had not squandered the three hundred years of meticulous planning. Zhang Dong was determined to render this place inaccessible to all, going to great lengths to infuse the land with demonic energies that would deter anyone from venturing near. These noxious fumes and corrupt forces prevented the formation of any sizable settlements, ensuring the land remained uninhabitable.
Only daring demonic cultivators and beasts risked using this place as a hideout, and now they were likely regretting their decision. The long-range battle between Zhang Dong and the Overseer was wreaking havoc, uprooting vegetation and continually reshaping the terrain. Nothing and no one above the secret ground would be able to endure the clash between these semi-immortal beings.
As the intense battle continued, Zhang Dong's concentrated energy beam was proving effective in slowing down the Overseer puppet's progress. The crystalline shield surrounding the puppet began to show cracks, and the creature struggled to maintain its forward momentum. Nevertheless, despite his success in momentarily repelling the monster, before he could further escalate the output to shatter the shield completely, Zhang Dong was struck by an intense, stabbing pain in his chest.
His cultivation realm went haywire as he exerted excessive energy. The seed within his soul began to pulse and even wither as he attempted to prolong the battle. If this continued, his body would remain trapped in this intermediate realm, or worse, he could potentially jeopardize his own soul and confine himself to this world without defeating the Overseer.
"Transferring data... 89,6%...89,7%..."
Zhang Dong gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. The pain was excruciating, but he couldn't afford to stop now. Bob's upload was at a critical point, and if he faltered, all their efforts would be in vain. With renewed determination, he channeled the energy from his surroundings, allowing it to flow through him without straining his own cultivation. The formations in this place along with the vegetation had been specifically created to aid him during this occasion.
The concentrated energy beam intensified, and the cracks in the Overseer puppet's crystalline shield grew wider. The creature let out a piercing, otherworldly screech as it struggled to maintain its charge. The Overseer was evidently bent on eliminating him by any means necessary. Bob's intrusion had diminished some of its mental capacity, fortunately keeping it engrossed in the battle rather than making an escape. If the puppet were to decide to flee, the entire plan would be in jeopardy.
The strain on Zhang Dong was immense, both physically and mentally. The body that had evolved from absorbing treasures was starting to crack and the very soul that he tempered was evaporating. The battle had reached a critical point, and the Overseer puppet, while severely hindered, was continuing to come. His efforts to stall the puppet and ensure Bob's complete upload were taking a toll and he didn't know if he would last for more than a minute in this state.
A sudden surge of energy erupted from the Overseer. The shield, on the brink of collapse, flared and reformed, much stronger than before. Zhang Dong's heart sank. The Overseer, despite its previous setbacks, had tapped into an unknown reserve of power, reconstituting its defense in a last, desperate stand. The shield now radiated an ominous, pulsating glow, repelling Zhang Dong's attacks and surging forth, encroaching upon his position with menacing speed.
"Bob, you better get that transfer going or we both are going to die!"
His mind raced as he couldn't even hear Bob's response. The transfer process must have been close to finishing and perhaps a minute was all that he needed. He roused all the treasures that he had gathered throughout the years. Swords, axes, spears, and glaves started floating up and quickly tossed themselves at the approaching puppet.
While they battered against that shield various beasts and monstrosities formed from within the secret ground to act as meat shields against the monster's approach. All the formations were brought to a state of overloading and even the plants stretched out their branches and roots in a struggle to gain more time.
The puppet kept coming while he kept clutching the left side of his chest. His breathing was erratic as the seed within him could not progress further and was bent on destroying even his soul to continue growing. Instead of using his own spiritual energy, he just threw the entire secret ground onto his foe who was fast approaching. To halt himself from crumbling or blowing up he was forced to concentrate on the growing seed that was close to ripping his entire being apart.
However, his adversary showed no signs of relenting. Every defense that had been erected proved futile against a semi-immortal entity. It relentlessly charged toward Zhang Dong, hurtling on a collision course with the intent of severing his head. The puppet's arms, transformed into razor-sharp blades, were already poised for the attack that would spell the end for their foe.
Zhang Dong could see the blade millimeters before his face but he was unable to move. His whole body was in a catastrophic state close to cultivation deviation. It seemed that he would be not making it out alive but before the blade collided with his neck he heard a strange dinging sound, similar to the ones used by ovens. The blade then instantly stopped while grazing his neck, the puppet's movement halted and he finally heard words of assurance that he was waiting for.
"Transferring data at 100%..."