Unfathomable Senior

Zhang Dong continued to play the role of someone ensnared by the time-stopping technique, maintaining an appearance of vulnerability while his mind raced with thoughts and plans. The puppet-like Overseer circled around the remnants of the throne room, occasionally glancing back at the fading soul fragment of Long Qing that had been locked in time. Its movements were deliberate and methodical, as if it were conducting a thorough inspection.

As the Overseer approached Zhang Dong, the tension in the room grew palpable. He could feel the intensity of its scrutiny, and it seemed to linger on him longer than anywhere else. The puppet floated closer, its blank visage devoid of any emotion or expression. This was the moment that he needed to make a decision. Would he use this chance to attack the strange being, or avoid conflict?

He had encountered only one other creature from another hidden world, and that one had been significantly weaker, easily vanquished. However, this one appeared to be a more formidable adversary, and he questioned whether it was truly necessary to engage in a battle. It seemed that these puppets existed to maintain a particular balance in the world, perhaps as a means to keep those with the system in check. If he remained passive and refrained from taking any action, he would gain valuable time.

As he contemplated the situation, he couldn't help but think about what had befallen his predecessor. If he considered his predecessor's fate, this might be the end of the scenario. The previous system holder had been able to live out his life before ascending further. Zhang Dong hoped that the same would happen to him and in that time he might gain the answer for this conundrum.

Yet, Zhang Dong couldn't dismiss the possibility that this might be his sole opportunity to confront this formidable being while it was off guard. If he let this opportunity slip through his fingers, another might never present itself. So, he continued to wait, carefully weighing his options. The peculiar puppet steadily approached him until it stood before him at roughly the same height. At this close range, he could discern that the material from which it was constructed was something entirely unfamiliar to him.

The time to strike was there but he hesitated. His entire army remained outside, and his wife was in close proximity. His thoughts were muddled by the prospect of potential chaos if he failed to eliminate this creature with a single decisive blow, a feat he wasn't confident he could accomplish in his weakened state. Battling through the Azure Palace and defeating the tentacle fiends, along with the corrupted Azure Emperor, had drained him significantly, to the extent that he couldn't make the decision easily.

‘Unauthorized access detected…’

‘Shit, what now?’

‘Warning, the being known as the Overseer is performing a scan of the user’s body, caution is advised…’

As Zhang Dong deliberated on his course of action, his adversary persisted in its analysis. Given that the Overseer resembled an automaton tasked with maintaining order, it appeared to be following a set of procedures. One of those procedures likely involved scanning for any anomalies in the system holder. Zhang Dong's system had indeed been tampered with, but with Bob's presence and assistance, even this entity might not be able to detect the alterations.

‘Bob, are you sure he can’t get through your fire wall?’

‘Affirmative.’

‘... What about him, could you get through his defenses without being found out?’

An intriguing idea began to take shape in Zhang Dong's mind. His system was undeniably unique, and Bob was an anomaly that likely confounded the Overseers. If these beings were, in essence, machines, they had their inherent limitations and perhaps couldn't evolve beyond certain parameters. It seemed plausible that no one anticipated a system holder being aware of the existence of such entities, and thus, their defenses against hacking might be nonexistent.

This theory held water when he considered his predecessor, who had somehow created the hacking procedure without being eradicated by any Overseers. The fact that Bob remained undetected further supported his hypothesis. Beings of unfathomable power were usually very arrogant and did not even think that a lower being could pose as a threat.

‘Calculating… It is possible to leave a part of my program in the Overseer to create a backdoor, without alerting it, should I proceed?’

‘... Do it … ‘

As Zhang Dong and Bob communicated through the help of the system, the Overseer continued its meticulous examination. It floated just millimeters away from him, seemingly unaware of the hidden plans being formulated in his mind.

Bob, with his hacking capabilities, began the delicate process of implanting a small portion of his program into the Overseer's system. It was a task that required precision and subtlety, and Bob executed it flawlessly. The program fragment subtly merged with the Overseer's code, leaving no trace of its presence.

‘Bob, is it done?’

‘Affirmative, the backdoor is in place. We can access its systems whenever we need to, as long as we remain in close proximity.’

‘I see, good job.’

With the backdoor established, Zhang Dong had a newfound sense of control over the situation. He still didn't want to initiate a confrontation with the Overseer just yet, but he now had a valuable ace up his sleeve. The opportunity to strike back would come at the most opportune moment.

As the Overseer continued its scrutiny, it gradually moved away from Zhang Dong and the fading soul fragment of Long Qing. It appeared satisfied with its inspection and began to drift toward the exit of the throne room. Zhang Dong continued to feign vulnerability, hoping that the Overseer would depart without any suspicion.

It seemed that he would be lucky today. The puppet-like being exited the room through the same spatial door it had arrived from, leaving Zhang Dong in a state of cautious relief. The tension in the room lessened as time began to flow once more. The sounds of destruction and chaos outside gradually returned, and the reality of the situation reasserted itself. Zhang Dong remained still, pondering the enigma of the Overseer and the implications of his newly established backdoor. He knew that he had to be patient and await the right moment to use this advantage and also prepare the right measures to use it.

Meanwhile, outside the Azure Palace, Zhang Jin and the others observed the gradual collapse of the Goliath and the return of the city to its normal state. The citizens who had been trapped in the chaos began to regain their senses and gather in the square. The relief and gratitude in their eyes were palpable.

The Azure Palace that had risen to become the Goliath’s head started falling down as it was cut off from its main source of power. The descent was gradual but Zhang Dong knew that he only had a minute before it crashed into the ground below. Now that the Overseer had departed he glanced at the throne and the door that opened up behind it.

He took up into the air and floated there to peek inside. The layout of the Azure Palace was strangely similar to the Golden Palace and just like in his, there was another room behind it. When stepping inside a foreboding feeling washed over him but he continued forward. There he could see some items that resembled toys that young children would fancy and also some paintings.

“Is that Long Qing and his family?”

One large painting portrayed a man and a woman standing side by side, accompanied by two boys and a daughter. It was Long Qing's entire family, and their faces bore genuine smiles tinged with a hint of awkwardness. Even the woman in the picture, who was meant to represent the Overseer, appeared to exude the warmth of a loving parent. He did not know if at this point in time, she had been replaced or if the Overseer started the act from a younger age.

As Zhang Dong gazed at the painting, a sense of melancholy washed over him. It was a stark reminder of the tragedy that had unfolded in this palace, the corruption that had taken hold, and the family that had been torn apart. Long Qing's transformation into a pawn of the Overseer had not only cost him his own life but had also led to the downfall of his entire clan.

The room held more than just paintings; there were also diaries and personal belongings scattered about. Zhang Dong picked up one of the diaries and began to leaf through its pages. It chronicled Long Qing's life, from his early childhood to his rise as a prominent figure within the Azure Empire. It was filled with memories of happier times, of a family that had once been united and full of hope.

As he read, Zhang Dong couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sorrow for Long Qing and the path he had been forced down. It was clear that the Overseer had manipulated and controlled him from a young age, gradually corrupting his soul and turning him into a tool of destruction. Long Qing's love for his family had been genuine, and the burden of responsibility had weighed heavily on his shoulders.

"Long Qing, you deserved a better fate than this…"

Zhang Dong whispered to himself, closing the diary with a heavy heart. But there was no time for dwelling on the past. The Azure Palace was rapidly descending, and he needed to return to his people and ensure their safety. With a final glance at the room, he made his way back to the throne room, where the collapse of the palace was imminent.

As he re-entered the throne room, he could see that the palace was falling at an alarming rate. Chunks of stone and debris rained down from above, and he knew that he needed to act quickly. He activated a protective barrier around himself and then used his profound energy to fly out of the crumbling palace just in the nick of time.

Outside, the Azure Palace crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar, sending shockwaves through the surrounding area. The impact created a massive cloud of dust and debris, obscuring the once-grand structure from view. The other cultivators who participated in the battle watched in awe and relief as the threat of the Goliath was finally eradicated.

With the fall of the Azure Palace, the empire teetered on the brink of transformation. Though it had fallen, the Golden Palace remained aloft in the sky, symbolizing a new world order that the survivors within the Azure Capital could no longer ignore. The United Element Sect had emerged victorious, solidifying their status as the supreme power now ruling these lands!