Unfathomable Senior

Chapter 744

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.

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.