Unfathomable Senior

Chapter 745

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.

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%...”