“General, we await your orders!”

“What’s there to say? Show this abomination why we are called the strongest sect in the Empire!”

Zhang Jin shouted from the command center of the Golden Palace, his voice resolute. The Goliath, now fully awakened and fueled by dark energies, had started to advance toward the defensive line the elders had formed. It moved with a lumbering yet menacing grace, causing the ground to tremble with each step.

The Golden Palace, flanked by a fleet of airships, hovered in the sky above, its cannons pointed on the behemoth. Zhang Jin, in his role as the commander of the defense, relayed orders to the ships and coordinated their firepower. The massive cannons on the airships unleashed a relentless barrage of energy projectiles upon the lumbering monstrosity, creating spectacular explosions on its rocky surface. However, the construct seemed undeterred, and its dark energy shield held firm against the assault.

“I guess it’s time to use that thing. Ready and Fire the spiritual energy destabilizer!”

Zhang Jin ordered, his gaze never leaving the approaching threat. One of the airships, the largest among them, carried a powerful spiritual energy destabilizer device. Its purpose was to disrupt and weaken the spiritual energy field surrounding the Goliath, making it vulnerable to further attacks. The crew of the airship worked with precision, aligning the device's emitters with the target.

With a brilliant burst of energy, the spiritual energy destabilizer fired a focused beam at the Goliath. The beam struck its mark, causing the construct to convulse and emit ear-piercing shrieks. Dark energy rippled across its body as the destabilizer began to erode the protective field, exposing cracks in its defenses.

“We've got an opening! Focus all firepower on those cracks!”

Zhang Jin shouted while all the airships adjusted their positions to target the weakened areas that now appeared on the Goliath’s body. Their cannons fired relentlessly, blasting away chunks of rock and dark energy. Slowly but surely, the construct's defenses crumbled under the relentless assault.

“It’s working! Keep at it!”

“General! We are picking up a large burst of power coming from the epicenter of the construct!’

One of the people in the command center shouted as the bombardment continued. Initially, it appeared as though they were successfully penetrating the massive entity's body, but soon their collective gasps filled the room. An eerie energy signature emanated from within the chest area, precisely where the city was positioned.

"It's... It's regenerating that ominous spiritual energy?"

Zhang Jin exclaimed as the phenomenon unfolded. While the spiritual energy destabilizer had shown promise initially, the shield surrounding the colossal rocky entity was rapidly restoring itself to full strength. The fragmented rocky pieces that had fallen to the ground began to shift back into place, and before long, the monstrosity had fully regained its previous form.

"I see this won't be an easy task. Prepare the destabilizer once more; we must keep it occupied while the grand elders handle that power source!"

Zhang Jin ordered with determination.It became increasingly evident that the monstrous entity they faced would not be defeated without a fierce struggle. It had nearly a billion people at its disposal to be used as batteries, some of whom were likely potent cultivators. As long as the Goliath could harness them to regenerate its spiritual energy shield, it would continue to pose a significant threat. The responsibility now rested on the others to sever this power source, but that was far easier said than done.

Amidst the raging battle in the skies, Zhang Liena, Huo Qiang, and Zhang Zhi cautiously maneuvered through the treacherous streets of the city. Just as their initial observation from a distance had indicated, there was an eerie absence of any living beings. The streets that had once been teeming with life and echoing with laughter were now desolate and hauntingly empty. Their urgent mission was clear as they had to swiftly locate the whereabouts of the missing populace and liberate them.

"This place is strangely silent...too silent,"

Zhang Liena cautioned in a hushed tone.

"Stay vigilant."

Liena whispered to her companions as they advanced cautiously. The three elders who had experienced the challenges of the trial tower were well aware of circumstances like this. They understood that in such silence lay the greatest danger. It was highly unlikely that a city like this would be completely devoid of defenses, and there was a strong possibility of a concealed enemy lurking in the shadows, biding its time.

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Huo Qiang and Zhang Zhi, armed and ready, remained vigilant as they followed her lead. Their mission was to locate and destroy the device responsible for siphoning the citizens' energy and disrupting it. Their objective was to accomplish this mission without causing harm to the afflicted citizens. However, they understood that if it became impossible to avoid collateral damage, they were prepared to employ more drastic measures.

As the infiltration team cautiously proceeded deeper into the city, they couldn't help but notice the eerie transformation that had befallen it. Buildings had twisted into grotesque shapes, and the once-vibrant streets were now an ominous labyrinth. It was as if the very essence of the city had been corrupted by the dark energy that fueled the Goliath.

“There is something there… let us continue with caution.”

Liena detected something and soon the other elders confirmed it. The group started jumping through the streets and empty buildings devoid of life and headed for something that looke like a central plaza. The plaza's centerpiece was a majestic fountain, its waters frozen in time, mid-spray, as if an invisible hand had pressed pause on the city's existence. The fountain's intricate stone sculptures depicted mythical creatures and legendary Long Clan heroes, their features beautifully chiseled and now cloaked in eerie tranquility.

The group came to an abrupt halt, their steps faltering, as a peculiar energy seemed to emanate from the entire area. They fell into an uneasy silence, their senses on high alert as they attempted to pinpoint the source of the strange, unsettling aura they felt. Amid the empty plaza, their collective gaze focused on the centerpiece, the frozen fountain which appeared to be ensnared in some kind of time-stopping enchantment. Its waters suspended mid-spray, as if trapped in a moment that defied the natural flow of time.

The group cautiously approached the fountain, each step echoing in the stillness of the plaza. This enigmatic source of energy was not something they could understand but it was clear that they found a clue as to where the people had disappeared to. Upon drawing nearer, they discerned a presence, something concealed within the frozen waters. Huo Qiang took the initiative, his strong hands gripping the polished stone of the fountain's edge. With some effort, he began to lift the stone, revealing what lay beneath.

“There is a passage here?”

“I wonder where it leads…”

“There is only one way to find out…”

Huo Qiang glanced at both Zhang Liena and Zhang Zhi, and the other elders accompanying them inched forward as their destination became apparent. After setting the fountain aside, they commenced their descent into the opening they had discovered. The place they were entering was shrouded in darkness, filled by hushed screams from the very citizens they had set out to assist. It was evident to them that in order to uncover the truth, they would have to descend further into this ominous abyss.

Without hesitation, they all descended into the darkened abyss. While some of the other elders displayed signs of fear, the trio, who had previously conquered the treacherous trial tower, were brimming with anticipation. They eagerly anticipated uncovering the city's secrets and harnessing their newly acquired cultivation levels to demonstrate their true value. Their deepest desire was to finally repay the one who had protected them for so long. They were determined to prove that Zhang Dong was not alone and that he could depend on their newfound strength.

…

“I hope the others are having more luck than me…”

Meanwhile, inside the corrupted Azure Palace, Zhang Dong pressed on, guided by his intuition and Bob's alerts. The moment he arrived here, some type of defensive reaction was triggered. Strange phantoms similar to the ones he encountered in the trial tower appeared to attack him. Thankfully there was no need to produce specialized light techniques as they could be defeated by regular ones.

These monsters weren’t the only ones here as autonomous puppets of various sizes swiftly emerged. These constructs bore some resemblance to the angelic army he had once created, but they also concealed a sinister secret within. He could sense an eerie, decrepit essence residing within each autonomous piece of armor, all driven by a malevolent intent to end his life. What was once a paradise had transformed into a nightmarish palace, more reminiscent of a lair belonging to a vampire lord than the sanctuary of a martial master.

‘Is this because of me?’

He couldn't stop pondering this question. His brother, Long Qing, didn't seem like such a heartless person, certainly not someone who would imprison the souls of the deceased within living armors. At that moment, he found himself locked in combat with an army of vengeful spirits, fortunately they were susceptible to the soul arts he had honed through his travels.

With a powerful sweep of his hand, he conjured a translucent gust of wind. As it passed through the various phantoms, their connection to the treasures they were haunting was severed, causing them to tumble to the ground. Gradually, he pressed onward through this place saturated with the stench of death. However, after passing through a few corridors he realized that he returned to the same place as before.

“Why do they always have to make it harder… Just let me into the boss chamber!”

Zhang Dong shouted while shaking his fist angrily at whoever thought it was a great idea to create another spatial maze within this place. He now had to go through vast quantities of rooms that led to more places that all looked the same. Luckily Bob and his system’s mapping feature was there to help him out.

‘That trial tower was really the alpha for this entire world. The monsters and traps are all the same…’

His journey through that darkened place had prepared him well, allowing him to make swift progress. Time was of the essence, but he continued to advance steadily. Before long, he stood before a colossal gate that promised to be his first genuine trial. As he stepped through it, his thoughts remained fixed on his comrades waiting outside and the urgency of completing this crucial phase of the mission before it became too late…