Unfathomable Senior

Zhang Dong could feel it - the white seed that he had nurtured for three hundred years was finally cracking. From within these cracks, a strange aura that he didn't fully understand began to radiate as something slowly emerged. A tiny white sprout started to emerge, taking root inside his very soul. It was really small, but the spiritual force that it generated was unlike anything found within this world.

As the sprout continued to grow, the meadow around Zhang Dong seemed to come alive. The ground quivered, and the diagrams etched into the earth glowed with a brilliant, otherworldly light. The air itself seemed to tremble with the power of this newfound energy. Zhang Dong's senses were overwhelmed as he felt the ancient and profound Dao of the sprout merging with his own cultivation.

His connection to the sprout deepened, and he could sense that it held the key to his ascension. It was as if the sprout were a bridge to a higher realm, and with each passing moment, he felt himself getting closer to breaking through the limits of his current state. It was an exhilarating and terrifying experience, which his body was having trouble contending with.

Zhang Dong's body was covered in a faint sheen of sweat, and his breathing was heavy as he channeled all of his energy into the growing sprout. It was a delicate process, one that required the utmost concentration and control. Any misstep could lead to disaster, and he was acutely aware of the risks involved. He knew that this little thing could kill him and destroy his soul if he wasn’t careful. However, taking things slowly might not have been a possibility as his enemies had realized that something strange was happening.

Outside the meadow, Bob's sensors continued to detect the anomaly, and he transmitted a message to Zhang Dong. Without presenting him with a system window he gave his warning in a softer tone than usual just so that he wouldn’t potentially hinder the ascension to the new realm.

"User, there's a distortion in close proximity to the secret ground. Be on high alert. The Overseer is approaching.”

“Just follow the plan, let them come…”

Zhang Dong knew that the Overseer would appear and might do so before he could ascend into a higher realm. While his seed was germinating inside his very soul and sprouting roots in his body, the transformation wouldn't take hold at a moment's notice. He wasn't sure what his enemy would do, but he had to assume that it would notice the mutated cultivation realm that didn't fit within the parameters of this world.

What came after that was the true question. Would this being just allow him to go through with it, or would it attack, as the demon lord did in that other world he visited? Zhang Dong was inclined to believe the latter, and he was prepared for a battle if necessary. However, it wasn't as easy as just defeating this puppet. There could be different consequences after he managed to slay this entity, and for that reason, he had been preparing for hundreds of years.

Finally, the moment of confrontation was upon him, and it was initiated by time halting around him, just as he had expected. The Overseer had access to several travel points in this world, and had arrived through a dimensional door not far away from his location.

Zhang Dong's heart raced as time froze around him, a palpable silence descended upon the meadow. He could feel the Overseer's presence, an otherworldly force that defied the natural laws of this realm. The air seemed to ripple with a sense of foreboding, and the diagrams etched into the ground paled in response to the time-stopping powers this creature possessed.

As he sat in the traditional lotus position, a figure materialized before him. It looked just the same as the last time he had laid eyes upon it. The Overseer didn't take a new form or intrude on his sect like it did with the Long Clan. He knew this well and was sure that this being would only start acting after he was gone from this world. It probably only resumed its work to prepare the scenarios for a new system holder, and so the cycle would repeat itself.

There were a few paths going forward for him now. He could defeat the puppet before him, just as in the other world. It didn't seem to affect it at that point in time, and perhaps it wouldn't here either. Only one thing was keeping him from following through with this easiest solution, and that was his family. If the Overseer vanished and he was unable to conquer whatever was out there, it could possibly lead to the erasure of everything he held dear to him.

This was not the optimal path he could follow. What he needed to do would be a lot more troublesome. He had spent hundreds of years running simulations and working on the technology in his secret ground. His puppet technology and insights into their creations were something he had focused on for quite a while. What he needed to do was to take control of this automaton and bring it to his side. Only then would he have a lifeline into this world and something that could help him rescue the people who were here if something went wrong.

‘Here it comes, did it notice or not?’

Just like the time before, he didn't move or give away that he was conscious of what was happening. The automaton remained silent, and even with his increased cultivation, he could not feel an inkling of a soul within this creature. It was an artificial being, more similar to Bob. It was trying to assess the situation with the help of its own scanning devices before engaging, and during that small window, the trap needed to be sprung.

‘Do it Bob, activate the formation!’

As the technique of controlling time was applied, the world remained in a state of stasis, but with the order given, the formations and symbols started to shine with energy. They covered the whole meadow in an array of symbols that quickly conjured up a prison made out of light particles, with the Overseer puppet right in the middle.

The Overseer puppet froze in place, its inscrutable form held captive by the intricate prison of light. The symbols of the formation pulsed with an ethereal glow, locking the puppet in a state of suspended animation. Its attempts to break free were met with resistance, as if the very fabric of space and time conspired to keep it imprisoned.

He had kept improving his own Dao of time throughout the years to counter whatever this being could do. However, this would not quite be enough, as this automaton possessed a cultivation base above that of the nascent soul level. Only after he had some time to begin his ascension would he have enough spiritual energy to balance things out. In the state that he was currently in, he had already pushed through the first layer of the barrier and entered the realm above the nascent soul.

While this realm was just a stopping point and only the beginning, the amount of power he could produce was a hundred times more than when he was a nascent soul master. It was probably a state that other masters could previously access before it was taken away. This stage was something between the realm of mortals and immortals, and his seed that was growing would push him even further.

But even with his newfound power, holding the automaton in place wasn't easy. Instead of progressing with his own ascension, he needed to focus on dealing with this enemy. Before the automaton could counter-attack, he needed to have Bob merge with its systems. In an attempt to gain a true ally, he intended to transfer all of his AI into this automaton so that it could be controlled.

‘Transferring data… 23%... 24% ...’

This plan was the result of their consensus. In most simulations, either Zhang Dong ended up dead or the Overseer. It wouldn't be just a copy but almost a full transfer of all of Bob's systems. With his new cultivation realm, Zhang Dong didn't require Bob's assistance with the system anymore, and the connection between them would remain open, with his AI receiving a proper body.

The battle of wills continued, as the Overseer puppet strained against the prison of light, desperately trying to break free from its confinement. It was a creature of immense power and it wouldn't be subdued easily. Its form flickered and wavered as it fought against the powerful formation that held it captive.

While the struggle raged on, Bob's data transfer was proceeding, and Zhang Dong could feel the AI merging with the automaton's systems. It was a complex process, and every percentage point counted. Time was of the essence, and they had to complete the transfer before the Overseer figured out a way to break free.

"Transferring data… 58%... 59%..."

Bob's calm voice continued to update Zhang Dong on the progress while he continued to concentrate. It wasn’t easy to focus both on holding his cultivation from going berserk and suppressing this puppet in the grand trapping formation that he created here. The whole secret ground was shaking and outside the landscape was being torn apart.

The power being exerted by Zhang Dong on the puppet was causing significant strain on this place. It was originally created by his predecessor using robust materials, but now that he was approaching the immortal realm, the very foundations of the location were being destroyed. The Overseer continued to resist, and its body began to convulse. The arms, which initially resembled a wooden puppet, transformed into sickles and were aimed directly at Zhang Dong's head.

"Transferring data… 78%... 79%..."

“Still not done yet… I guess it won’t go down without a fight…”

Zhang Dong had set up a back door years ago, which allowed him to track the Overseer's presence and prepare Bob for the transferring process. However, the percentages were not increasing as quickly as he hoped. Until it reached one hundred, Bob could not effectively take control of the puppet. It appeared that Zhang Dong would need to use his semi-immortal state to keep the monster occupied and hope that he wouldn't experience any cultivation deviations during this critical moment.