Unfathomable Senior

“Hey, number four, what is it, number five?”

“I was thinking … Will we always refer to ourselves with numbers?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Well, isn’t it kind of boring?”

“I guess you are right…”

“I know, right? There are five of us, we should distinguish ourselves from any potential newcomers!”

“We probably should, Dong Prime might create more of us later…”

Two identical individuals, resembling salarymen, navigated a familiar environment. They were the fourth and fifth clones that Zhang Dong had created, assigned the task of infiltrating one of the other space stations. As they moved through the corridors to map out the area, they soon realized it might not be necessary. The place was a carbon copy of the area they came from, and it seemed probable that all these stations were copy-pasted across the realm. It appeared that the being in charge had manually crafted the first one and then replicated it throughout the realm.

Thus, they utilized the old map and made their way toward the concealed administrative chamber. While on the journey, they engaged in conversation to pass the time. Despite knowing the way, the sheer size of the place made navigation challenging.

“I know, how about we use colors?”

“You mean like in those superhero shows?”

“Exactly! I’ll be the red one, cos it was my idea!”

“Hey, no fair! Also shouldn’t the red one be Prime?”

“Nah, Prime is special so he should be the white one.”

Clone number five nodded and the two started arguing about who should be the leader which was usually represented by a red color when it came to sentai shows. There were five base colors which fit well with the number of clones that were produced.

“Shouldn’t red be number 1?”

“No, it was my idea, so I’ll get to be red and you can be pink!”

“I’ll pass, I’m fine with being blue or black, the others can fight over pink and yellow!”

The two continued their banter as they reached the concealed entrance to the administrative chamber. Opening it as before, they entered and concealed themselves within the darkness. They stealthily advanced towards their destination, anticipating the presence of the administrator. To their surprise, this administrator looked nothing like the previous one.

Contrary to the malnourished gamer appearance of the previous administrator, this one was notably plump, even obese. The monitors and computers remained, but the overall style had undergone a significant change. On the sides, a plethora of figurines caught their attention, all depicting anime-style characters. The majority were young women with ample proportions, and true to collector's form, they were encased within glass displays or plastic boxes.

‘We need to report this to Dong Prime.’

Number four discreetly sent a hidden message to number five, who simply nodded in acknowledgment. It appeared that, at the very least, the administrators displayed some uniqueness. It was plausible that they were akin to system holders, brought in from the main world to manage these computer stations. The two administrators embodied walking stereotypes - one a gamer, the other seemingly more inclined toward anime. Even in the moment, the latter was glancing at a monitor displaying an anime episode.

‘Let’s get to it then… one, two, three!’

The two weren't here to dawdle; there were many other administrative chambers like this one, and they needed to take control of them. Similar to the other administrator, this one lacked any fighting capabilities. Despite having the body of an immortal, he seemed unaware of how to utilize his abilities. There appeared to be a mental restraint preventing these puppet humans from going against some primary directive. In a sense, they were akin to the puppets inhabiting all these stations. With the man restrained and placed in a bathtub, the two Zhang Dongs proceeded with the next stage of their plan.

“I choose you, Overseer puppet!”

Number four waved his hand, summoning a puppet human. Fortunately, there were unused puppets scattered around the area that they could hack into. These puppets were of the same model that appeared in the cultivation world, and their power could reach up to somewhere around the Dao Gathering stage. Identical puppets were concealed in other worlds that they planned to traverse.

The number of immortal clones that Zhang Dong could create was limited. There weren't enough of them to have a clone take over the console. Instead, they decided to use the Overseer puppets as their connection to these administrative chambers. The administrators themselves couldn't truly die and could be kept in a perpetual state of dreaming. There was no risk of the puppets being destroyed, making them perfect tools for their mission.

“That about wrap things up here… but…”

“Yeah, this is going to take forever, we really need more help with this.”

“I hope that number one… or Red can get everyone up in a short amount of time…”

“Yeah… let’s go to the next one then.”

Both clones nodded at each other and soon departed from the administrative chamber. They weren't certain how many stations were out there, but the more they brought under control, the better chance they had when the time for an uprising arrived. Initially, they decided to travel together for safety, but after some practice, going their separate ways would prove to be more efficient.

…

Back in the cultivation world, the first Zhang Dong clone finished up with everyone. The individuals he had gathered were all nascent soul masters, with most of them at the great circle level. The remaining members were younger family members, his great-grandchildren, who required some practice before their ascension.

“Good, that about completes the initial preparations, now I need to oversee the trials…”

Seated in the hidden room of the trial tower, the first clone utilized the knowledge he had obtained as the original. Previously, he couldn't manipulate anything in this space or change settings, but now, with the authority granted by becoming the new administrator of this world, he could overwrite everything. His great-grandchildren, who were at the core formation level, would swiftly progress through the lower levels, while those at the nascent soul level could follow the path he had previously taken with Liena and Huo Qiang.

The trials began, and each participant faced challenges tailored to their current strength and understanding. The lower floors were filled with formidable beasts, elemental challenges, and puzzles, all designed to push the limits of the cultivators. As they progressed, the difficulty increased, and the trials became more complex.

With each new trial they conquered, their power grew, and their understanding of their Daos was reinforced. Much of their progress was due to their innate talents, but another factor was the simplified leveling system designed by Bob and Zhang Dong. This new system was connected to Zhang Dong's prime body, cultivating within the first station he encountered.

The system had more limitations, lacking access to item storage or instant-boosting quests for other system holders. Instead, its primary function was to absorb the spiritual energy generated during encounters with beasts and capture the essence of Daos during trials that demanded more mental effort. Assisted by a stat counter, sect members could readily gauge their progress and identify areas for improvement. The system highlighted their deficiencies, enabling instant adjustments and rapid advancement. This key feature facilitated progress in weeks and months rather than years.

There wasn't much for him to do besides spending time in the control room. From there, he could monitor everyone's life signatures and intervene if things became too dangerous. He hesitated to rely on the Overseer puppet for this critical task. With his family's lives at stake, he deemed it better to personally keep an eye out for potential trouble. There were already instances where he had intervened, often by reducing the beast count or mitigating the diminishing effects of certain detrimental conditions.

The group that garnered his primary focus was the one starting from the fifty-first floor. All members were Dao Foundation stage cultivators, and the majority of available resources were directed toward propelling them to the final level. The ultimate challenge awaited them - a quasi-immortal being, nearly on the cusp of the immortal realm. Zhang Dong aimed to guide them to this point without any casualties or irreversible injuries. The monitoring continued as his people were traversing through the levels.

The first to reach a breakthrough was Zhang Liena. Empowered by the Dao of Wind, she effortlessly breezed through the trials, demonstrating her newfound strength and understanding. She reached the Dao Gathering realm, her connection with the wind evolving into a profound mastery that allowed her to manipulate the air around her at will. Her speed and agility became unmatched, and she soared through the trials with grace.

Huo Qiang, not one to be outdone, faced the trials with the ferocity of the Dao of Fire. His flames roared, turning obstacles into ashes, and he displayed a control over fire that astonished onlookers. With a burst of intense heat and a powerful breakthrough, he, too, reached the Dao Gathering stage. The flames that surrounded him now held a refined and disciplined quality, a testament to his mastery over the Dao of Fire.

The third one was Zhang Zhi, who had developed an affinity for the Dao of Water. His swordsmanship with the elusive watery blade reached a new stage that even Huo Qiang and Zhang Liena couldn’t ignore. As the trio ascended further, they encountered challenges that pushed the limits of their newfound Dao realms. The trials became more intricate, requiring not only raw power but also profound understanding and control of their respective Daos.

With these new stages, the group was able to safely progress all the way up to the seventy-fifth level where they reached an impasse. Another challenge awaited them - mastering the third and final stage within this cultivation step. Dao Foundation, Dao Gathering, and then Dao Expansion were the three stages a cultivator needed to traverse before attempting the breakthrough into the Immortal realm.

While it was relatively easy for most to at least reach the Dao Gathering stage, entering the Expansion stage wouldn't be as simple. To achieve it, they needed to master multiple Daos of different elements or professions. Many had dedicated their entire lives to mastering just one, but now they would be compelled to step into new directions and perhaps even start from scratch.

Zhang Dong took it upon himself to assist his sect and family members with these tasks. Having already mastered a variety of cultivation paths, he guided them in the process. Firstly, everyone needed to choose a weapon Dao that complemented their affinity. Subsequently, they could branch out to other elemental paths that were aligned with their current ones. For example, the Dao of Water went well with wood, and flames could complement lightning. Soon everyone was busy with their training which could take hundreds of years but would be but a moment for people that were not inside of this tower of trials.