‘The whole place is shaking, they must be lighting the Goliath up…’

Zhang Dong contemplated as he navigated through the Azure Palace. After defeating the main tentacle monster, he found it relatively straightforward to cleanse the corrupted azure crystals that had overrun the area. With each crystal he restored, the palace began to resemble the one where his brother once lived.

As he moved through these corrupted corridors, he couldn't help but notice the positive impact of his actions. For every crystal he purified and every soul fragment he collected, the Goliath outside showed signs of weakening. It appeared that the construct couldn't operate properly without the corruption in the area diminishing.

That wasn't the only development; in addition to its loss of control, the Goliath was also depleting its power rapidly. The other individuals who had entered the capital city must have successfully rescued a significant number of trapped citizens. Without these individuals unwittingly serving as its power source, the monstrosity began to weaken.

They were steadily and surely forcing the Goliath to its knees. However, despite all their efforts, the monster was closing in on the fleet. If things continued at this rate, many of his people would be at risk during the impending confrontation outside. Perhaps the smarter thing would be to take things slowly but he couldn’t let his army outside stall for any longer than they already did. Before most of them were eradicated, he needed to get inside of that throne room that probably contained his last foe.

Having previously explored the palace and meticulously mapped it out, Zhang Dong was intimately familiar with its layout. While numerous entrances had been obstructed by corrupted crystals or bizarre fleshy walls, the fundamental structure remained unchanged. As he moved through the palace, the path to the throne room gradually cleared, revealing itself to him once more. The time to confront the Azure Emperor and put an end to this madness was upon him.

As he finally reached the grand entrance to the throne room, Zhang Dong took a moment to steady himself. He knew that whatever awaited him inside would be a formidable challenge. The Azure Emperor was no ordinary foe, and he had likely been waiting for this confrontation. There was also the possibility that the person inside might not be the Long Quing he had encountered before. Instead, it could be some type of twisted monster that was affected by the Overseer.

‘There is one way to find out…’

Pushing open the massive doors, Zhang Dong entered the throne room, his senses on high alert. The room was vast, with towering pillars and a magnificent azure throne at the far end. Seated upon the throne was the Azure Emperor, a figure shrouded in an aura of overwhelming power.

The Azure Emperor, or what appeared to be Long Quing, slowly rose from the imposing throne. His eyes, once filled with warmth and camaraderie, were now cold and emotionless. It was evident that the corruption had taken hold of him, twisting his noble features into something sinister.

"Zhang Dong…"

The corrupted Long Quing hissed, his voice a venomous whisper.

"You've come a long way to face me. But you cannot stop what has already begun. The Goliath's awakening is irreversible, and the world will soon bow before its might."

“I see…”

Zhang Dong could discern that this wasn't the Long Quing he had once known. By employing his system in conjunction with his spiritual sense, he obtained his answer. The man standing before him had been corrupted by an unfamiliar spell or technique. His skin had paled significantly, even taking on a purplish hue, as though all the air had been drained from him. It was evident that something had gone awry since their last encounter, and it was likely that the Overseer or the Goliath were the primary culprits behind this transformation.

With a heavy heart, Zhang Dong knew that he had to confront this corrupted version of his so-called brother and put an end to the madness that had taken hold of him. He couldn't allow the Goliath's awakening to continue unchecked, for it posed a grave threat to his people and the entire world.

Zhang Dong couldn't be certain about the exact cause of the profound change in the once happy-go-lucky Emperor, but it was most likely linked to his handling of the war between the Empires. The Long Clan was originally supposed to be a safe haven, a group of people who were on his side. However, he had managed to eliminate almost all of them without their assistance, which had thrown them into a state of panic.

In the original scenario, perhaps he was supposed to fight alongside them and gradually build a bond. As it currently stood, the Long Clan regarded him as an adversary, someone who had accumulated enough power to challenge their reign of over a hundred thousand years. There was no trust between their factions, and they saw him as nothing more than a threat to their entire empire, an usurper.

‘His giving me a similar vibe to the demon lord that I faced, like he isn’t quite in there…’

Long Qing appeared disoriented, as though he had been transformed into something he shouldn't have become. He sat on his throne with a bored expression, his face cradled in his hand, observing Zhang Dong's entrance with indifference. The throne was strategically placed to oversee the subjects below, ensuring that no one could stand or sit above the emperor.

“I like what you did with the place, it feels like you’re going through something… let me guess, it’s not a phase though?”

“You dare mock me? The Azure Emperor? Bow down before me and I might offer you a swift death!”

With every step he took closer to the throne, Zhang Dong knew that he was stepping into the unknown. The corrupted Emperor's words echoed through this large chamber. Behind him the huge gates started to close and it was clear that this would be the next ground for their battle. There was time to avoid this battle, maybe even wait for his fleet to obliterate the Goliath from outside. Time was on his side if he considered his people to be expendable but that was just not his style.

‘I got all those soul fragments but how do I go about this… He probably won’t just stand still and let me reassemble his soul…’

There was something unsettling about this version of Long Qing. He seemed devoid of any emotion and didn’t even seem perturbed by his appearance in this throne room.

Zhang Dong observed the corrupted Emperor closely, searching for any signs of his brother's true self beneath the malevolent exterior. As he approached the throne, he considered his options. Either he needed to kill him or attempt a probably harder mission by somehow redlining his destroyed persona.

“A swift death you say? I think I’ll have to pass on that one. How about instead, you surrender and we will disable this Goliath? I promise to spare your children along with…”

“You dare bargain with me? The Azure Emperor?”

“I see that you’re too far gone. It’s a shot in the dark… but where are your children and wife?”

The Emperor paused for a moment when Zhang Dong mentioned the children and the Empress. It seemed as if he was attempting to retrieve a distant memory, but it slipped through his fingers before he could fully grasp it. Soon, his face became devoid of any emotion as he responded.

“Hmph, they are of no concern to me or you now. All that matters is the awakening of the Goliath and how I will restore order to the Empire. After you are gone, I will make it my sole purpose to eradicate all opposition. The Long Clan will remain forever and no one will remember the name of the usurper Long Dong.

Zhang Dong couldn't help but feel a surge of sadness as he realized that Long Qing, was now lost to corruption. There was no reasoning with this twisted version of his sibling, and it became clear that their confrontation was inevitable. Even his love for the Empress that was probably behind it all seemed to have gone away and he didn’t even want to think about what had happened to his children.

As their conversation continued the massive doors to the throne room finally sealed shut behind him, Zhang Dong knew there was no turning back. He had come here with a mission, and he couldn't afford to let the Goliath continue to unleash its destructive power upon the world. The fate of his people and the safety of countless lives rested on his shoulders.

“I'm sorry it has come to this, Long Qing.”

Zhang Dong said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

“But I won't allow you to destroy everything I hold dear. Even if it means facing you in battle.”

With that declaration, the two clashed in a flurry of spiritual energy aura. Without leaving his throne Long Qing exuded a surge of dark azure energy that made the whole huge throne room tremble. The wave of force was intercepted by an aura of golden lightning. The two energy sources seemed to match each other without either budging even a millimeter.

Their battle had begun, a clash of power that resonated throughout the grand throne room. Zhang Dong's golden lightning aura met the corrupted Long Qing's dark azure energy, creating a palpable tension in the air. It was a battle not just of strength, but of wills, as Zhang Dong sought to break through the darkness that had consumed Long Qing’s soul.

The two combatants moved with blinding speed, exchanging blows and strikes that shook the very foundations of the room. The throne room, once a symbol of power and authority, was now the arena for a desperate struggle to save not only the Azure Empire but also perhaps the whole cultivation world.

With every clash, the room seemed to warp and distort, as if reality itself was being affected by their battle. Long Qing's attacks were relentless, fueled by the dark energy that coursed through him. Each strike was accompanied by a malevolent laughter that sent shivers down Zhang Dong's spine. It was clear that he was not clashing with the same person as his might had gone up a notch once more.

Even without the quasi-immortal blade, he was proving to be on equal grounds, something that shouldn’t have been possible. It was clear that the man was being empowered by the Goliath and the trapped residents inside the Azure Capital city. However, even though he was mighty a way of separating the connection existed…