The reconnaissance unit, upon receiving Zhang Dong's urgent command, swiftly began their ascent back to the safety of their airships. The tension aboard the vessels increased as they watched the small vessels maneuvering away from the stillness of the abandoned city.

The azure sky above the city began to churn with unnatural energy. A swirling vortex of dark clouds formed, crackling with ominous lightning. It expanded rapidly, casting an eerie shadow over the seemingly abandoned city. The entire armada of ships observed the phenomenon with a mix of awe and fear.

“What is it, were there hiding within it?”

Zhang Jin called out to Zhang Dong who had ordered the scouting ship to quickly return. All of the elders jumped forward as they were ready to fight. However, they still couldn’t see or feel anyone within that large structure. Instead, they saw a strange phenomenon that appeared above the city, which then started to spread through its entirety.

The vortex continued to expand, its ominous energy pulsating and swirling, when suddenly it unleashed a powerful shockwave that rippled outward. This shockwave slammed into the reconnaissance vessel, making it shudder and divert from its intended course. The cultivators aboard fought to regain control as the strange force disabled their airship's spiritual engine.

The vortex began to gather around the entire city, enveloping it in a shroud of spiritual energy. As the darkness deepened, it became increasingly apparent that this technique was rather unsettling. Nevertheless, just before the energy wave emanating from the epicenter could reach the scouting ship, Zhang Dong swiftly activated his system screen. Through the interface, he promptly teleported the people from the ship to a secure location near the Golden Palace, ensuring their safety.

“What is this strange technique… It doesn’t feel natural and can you hear those sounds? It’s like voices…”

“It does sound odd… It's as if they are screaming for help?”

Zhang Dong responded to Zhang Jin, both of them struggling to comprehend the bizarre phenomenon unfolding before their eyes. The entire city was ensnared in an inexplicable storm of unknown energy, its swirling vortex extending farther and farther from its center. This unnatural force even began to influence the ground, sending sizable boulders hurtling into the air. Over time, it became apparent that there was a discernible pattern emerging from the chaos, resembling the outline of a figure.

"Is it taking shape? Are those perhaps intended to be legs and arms?"

Zhang Dong asked while his voice tinged with curiosity and concern. As the city continued its transformation, it became evident that the swirling energy was indeed taking shape, forming massive legs and arms. The ground trembled as if the earth itself was struggling to give birth to this colossal entity. The silhouette of a gigantic golem began to emerge from the heart of the city, and the eerie voices grew louder, resembling a choir of anguished souls.

The central city stood firm at the heart, enclosed within a protective bubble of spiritual energy. This barrier drew in everything from its surroundings, gradually fashioning rocky legs and towering, mountain-like arms that began to take form. It appeared to be utilizing the city as both its core and power source. However, for its head, a different element emerged. An azure palace slowly materialized from within the city, ascending into the sky to complete the construction of this colossal, golem-like entity.

As the city golem rose to its full height, it let out a deafening, otherworldly roar that shook the very foundations of the world. The ground quaked beneath its colossal feet, and the sky darkened further as it extended its enormous arms toward the heavens. It was as if the golem sought to challenge the gods themselves.

“Is this the Goliath that Long Qing mentioned before?”

In the past, Zhang Dong's brother, the Azure Emperor, had mentioned a secret weapon known as the Goliath. Its exact form had always been unknown, but with Zhang Dong's arrival, it was supposed to become operational. As he observed the entity taking shape before them, it finally made sense. However, it became evident that this colossal creation could function autonomously, seemingly independent of Zhang Dong's direct involvement.

“Those voices… did he really do it?”

“Do what? Dong’er do you know something about this strange creature?”

“Not much, think it’s called the Goliath and was supposed to be the Long Clan’s trump card in the battle against the other Empires. However, I thought they wouldn’t be able to activate it without me getting involved and after examining this strange energy, I think that I know how they did it…”

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Zhang Dong employed his spirit sense and relied on Bob to delve deeper into this perplexing mystery. The unsettling question concerning the fate of the city's inhabitants was swiftly unraveled. It appeared that they had been transformed into a peculiar form of power source, akin to batteries. The eerie cries emanating from the energy field were, in reality, the anguished screams of these people, expressing their indignation. To Zhang Dong's astonishment, they were all alive and had been harnessed to activate this clandestine trump card of the Long Clan.

“They used the people to power this gigantic monster? Are they all just souls now?”

“I’m not sure, they could be trapped inside of the city and still be alive…”

Zhang Dong's heart sank as he realized the horrifying truth. The Long Clan had sacrificed countless innocent lives to power the Goliath, a colossal monstrosity that now stood before them, a symbol of both awe-inspiring power and unfathomable cruelty. It was unknown if any of the citizens were still alive but that would not stop him from trying to help.

"We have to stop this."

Zhang Jin declared, his voice filled with determination.

"We can't let this abomination continue to exist, and we must find a way to free those trapped souls."

The other elders nodded in agreement, their faces etched with a mix of anger and sadness. They couldn't stand by and allow such an atrocity to persist. But the task ahead was daunting. The Goliath was a formidable opponent, and they had no idea how to disrupt the energy field that bound it together.

Zhang Dong found himself taken aback by the reaction of his fellow cultivators. Typically, individuals like them were not known for their concern for the weakest members of their circles. Yet, he couldn't fathom the idea of them willingly sacrificing their own city or sect merely to secure victory in a single battle. The actions of the Azure Emperor indicated a willingness to employ his citizens as fuel for this victory, raising questions about his true priorities. It seemed apparent that he held a deep attachment to the core of his clan, securely concealed within the Azure Palace residing in the head of the Goliath.

“The Azure Emperor has revealed his true colors, he is not any better than the demonic cultivators we defeated in the north! When faced with opposition, this is what he chooses!”

Zhang Dong listened to his wife's words while his mind was racing. This gigantic enemy was quite strong, probably stronger than the quasi-immortal blade that he had to face before. However, there was an obvious weakness that this thing possessed and thus he turned to Bob for some advice.

‘Bob, can you analyze the energy field surrounding the Goliath? Is there any way we can weaken it or find a vulnerability?’

Bob's monotone voice sounded in his mind as the monstrous form of the Goliath continued to take shape.

‘Analyzing... It appears that the energy field is being sustained by the combined spiritual essence and soul essence of the trapped city citizens. If we can find a way to disrupt that connection or release them, it might weaken the Goliath or disable it.’

Zhang Dong relayed Bob's analysis to the group. They now had a potential strategy to weaken the Goliath and put an end to this nightmarish creation. However, it would be a dangerous and challenging task. Even now their ships had already begun shooting their spirit cannons at the monstrosity but could not even pierce the shroud of energy.

“First of all… Make the order to shoot before that thing fully forms itself!”

“As the Patriarch commands!”

The colossal monstrosity, though still in the process of taking shape, presented a brief window of opportunity for Zhang Dong and his allies. Recognizing this chance to weaken their formidable new adversary, they wasted no time. Their flying ships and the Golden Palace swiftly opened fire, launching a barrage of powerful spiritual attacks toward the emerging creature. A massive, arching display of colorful energy clashed with the forming monster. The collision of these opposing forces sent shockwaves in all directions, intensifying the already trembling ground.

The Goliath roared in something akin to agony as the powerful spiritual attacks from Zhang Dong's forces struck its massive form. Cracks and fissures appeared in its energy field, and parts of its rocky limbs began to fracture and crumble. The anguished cries of the trapped

grew louder as their connection to the Goliath weakened, or at least it looked that at first.

As the fallen rocks began to self-assemble and the energy field surrounding the monstrosity's body grew more potent, it became clear that their efforts were having limited impact. Despite the continuous influx of energy from the ships, the creature persisted in reshaping itself. The escalating screams of the city's inhabitants only served to underscore the futility of their attacks; it appeared that they were causing more harm to the trapped citizens than to the monstrous entity taking form from their collective energy.

The monstrous entity gradually neared completion in its formation. At its core, the Azure Dragon capital city was situated, enclosed by a thick layer of rocks, with only a small section of the defensive formation protruding around the heart area. Above this, the colossal golem's head had been constructed, enveloping the old Azure Palace, a structure even larger than the Golden Palace that Zhang Dong had come to possess. The magnitude of this entity was becoming increasingly daunting.

‘Bob, can you find a way to release the trapped people without harming them?’

Zhang Dong asked urgently while Bob's monotone voice responded.

‘Analyzing... It is possible to create a localized disruption in the energy field to release the trapped citizens. However, it must be done with precision to avoid harm.’

‘I guess you’d have to get someone inside of the city first to carry out that plan…’

The situation looked bleak, they were now up against a monstrous enemy that dwarfed their entire armada. Even though they were constantly pelting it with spirit bullets and other attacks, they could not get through the layer of spiritual energy protecting its main body. They needed to come up with a strategy and they needed to do it fast as the Goliath was probably not going to wait much longer…