“Break it open! We must weaken this monster’s core!”

“Everyone charge!”

“We must succeed if we wish for anyone to have a future after this!”

Many voices cried out in unison as a large armada of space-faring ships approached a massive glowing star. Some resembled futuristic cruisers from a space opera, while others took the form of ancient galleons surrounded by a radiant aura and filled with various individuals. They had gathered in the billions, offering their help to the only one who could save them from destruction.

Most of them didn't expect the plan to work; they were going up against an ancient god who had created them and the space they resided in. Nevertheless, they wouldn't go down without a fight. Their goal was to give Zhang Dong an opportunity to fight back. The plan was simple: cause a ruckus while the two beings of immense power duked it out. They resided within the god's universe, a part of him that could be his downfall.

What they were facing wasn’t a star; it was the core space of the god being. Thanks to Zhang Dong, they were aware of how this being's cultivation realm functioned. The two were similar as they hid their weak points inside stars where the universe was born. As they approached, a response was triggered, and the sun produced a series of strange, enigmatic creatures. These entities hurled themselves at the armada of ships, akin to white blood cells defending against a virus.

The space battle unfolded in a dazzling display of light and energy. The armada, led by various leaders from different civilizations, fought against the ethereal creatures that guarded the god being's core. Each ship was manned by individuals from different worlds and dimensions, united by a common goal: to free themselves from the god's control and to give Zhang Dong a fighting chance. His children and family members were at the helm of it all, their cultivation levels of immortals propelling them forward.

Beings made of pure energy emerged as the sun produced strange tentacles to bat at the distant ships. The entire universe trembled from the overwhelming energy being generated. In the midst of the chaos, a figure emerged, oddly similar to their leader. He was accompanied by a woman of striking beauty, and together they conjured gigantic dragons of immense might.

“We will make a path for everyone!”

They shouted together as they plunged themselves into the heart of the battle, wielding unparalleled strength. The dragons clashed with the ethereal creatures, creating shockwaves that rippled through the fabric of space. As the two figures fought side by side, their power resonated with the collective strength of the armada.

Back in the outer desolate void, Zhang Dong continued to resist the merging process. The memories of his past and the determination of the beings fighting on his behalf fueled his resolve. He focused on the love he had for his family, the friendships he forged, and the hardships he overcame. At that moment, he found the strength to resist and the particles that previously left his body started to return.

“What … How could those inconsequential creatures be capable of this!”

The god being, sensing the disturbance, shifted his attention from the merging process to the ongoing battle within his own core. The armada and the immortal figures were proving to be more troublesome than anticipated. The sun’s defensive entities were gradually being overwhelmed, and the core itself trembled under the assault. This caused his power to dwindle at a rapid pace as he found himself in a weakened state, as if a sickness was taking over from within his own body.

“You underestimate other people, you were once like them, you should know that an individual has the potential for power and if you bring all of those individuals together, then nothing is impossible! Even more, if the source of your power are these same beings that you despise and ignore.”

Zhang Dong had crafted this plan that was now coming to fruition. He assumed that his opponent had a similar cultivation method to himself, and he was correct. The power of his enemy was fueled by the creations within, and the people there were a part of it. Zhang Dong assumed that if, for some reason, a god’s creations were to rise up in unison against them, it would start weakening them. He had been absorbing their powers for countless millennia, viewing them as nothing more than batteries.

“Impossible! How can mere mortals challenge the might of a true god?”

“Because you think like that, you will lose. We aren’t gods, just people who were given good fortune to rise above others. It doesn’t make us better than them and it certainly doesn’t give us the right to treat them like lesser beings.”

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With his reforming body, Zhang Dong clenched his fist, which crackled with immense energy. His enemy remained confused about the whole situation, unable to comprehend how he was being resisted. Before his opponent could regain his footing, Zhang Dong needed to retaliate. His fist surged forward and collided with his opponent's face. The very void that the two beings of power occupied shook from the impact.

As the punch landed, cracks formed on the god being’s face, and for the first time, a flicker of vulnerability appeared in his eyes. He was propelled into the distance to collide with many ice planets. The hit was immense and he burst threw these gigantic spheres of ice as if they were made out of snow. The once-dead universe that lacked any motion of light was now being filled with energy once again as Zhang Dong began his chase. He could not let this chance be wasted, as long as he could keep this monster busy here his allies would have an easier job tackling him from the inside.

“You cannot defy me! I am the creator, the ruler of this universe! You are just a shard, nothing but an imitation!”

“Could an imitation do this?”

The god-being bellowed, attempting to regain control, but his words fell on deaf ears as another barrage of punches and kicks rained down on him. As the assault continued, more dead planets exploded around them, and the once-dead universe lit up as if fireworks were being shot everywhere. The clash between the two beings of immense power reverberated through the lifeless cosmos, each strike shaking the very fabric of their existence.

“You are no god, I’ve seen your past, you did not create anything but just used everything that was made by someone else. Even now you cling to that system that someone gave you, maybe if you had looked past it, you might have been able to ascend a long time ago.”

With that declaration, Zhang Dong summoned all the energy he could muster. The radiant aura that enveloped him intensified, creating shockwaves that reverberated through the desolate void. The god being’s resistance weakened, and Zhang Dong pressed on, determined to break free from the merging process.

The armada inside the god-being continued its relentless assault, and the core space became a battlefield of cosmic proportions. The dragons unleashed torrents of energy, obliterating the remaining defensive entities. The collective strength of the beings fighting for their freedom overwhelmed the weakened god-being. However, just as victory seemed within reach, the enemy struck back.

With a surge of power, the god-being unleashed a counterattack. Energy waves rippled through the core space, striking at the dragons and the armada, ending the lives of thousands instantly. From within the sun, a massive behemoth of immeasurable power exposed itself to them, appearing like an eldritch horror made up of cosmic energy. It was an amalgamation of the god-being’s essence, a formless manifestation of its power. The behemoth roared, its very existence causing some of the ships to explode instantly.

On the outside, a similar occurrence took place as Zhang Dong found himself blasted away. A burst of immense power shot out from within the god-being’s body, causing him to cover up and retreat. He flew far and wide, colliding with some space debris, his body covered in small cuts and bruises, blood running down his lips. Just one hit from this being had already sapped away at his vitality; things weren’t looking good.

The armada inside the god-being faced a dire situation as the colossal behemoth of cosmic energy wreaked havoc. The dragons fought valiantly, but the overwhelming power of the god-being's manifestation proved to be too much. Ships were torn apart, and the once-united force began to crumble.

Amidst the chaos, a group of powerful cultivators rallied together. They were the leaders of various civilizations, individuals who had once stood at the peak of their respective worlds, many of whom had known Zhang Dong from the very start of his adventure. United by a common purpose, they formed a defensive barrier to shield the remnants of the armada. The cosmic energy behemoth collided with their barrier, creating shockwaves that rippled through the core space.

“This might be it for us…”

“Stop spouting nonsense and concentrate!”

“Haha, you two never change, bickering to the very end.”

Zhang Jin chuckled as he witnessed Zhang Liena and Huo Qiang still arguing, even when death loomed before them. Most of their forces had been defeated, and now they stood before a gigantic space entity that sought to devour them. They could only muster enough power to shield themselves from the monster's assaults. There wasn't much more they could do on their own, but they clung to the hope that their leader, just as many times before, would conjure another miracle. Thus, they persisted, giving everything they had to prolong the fight, hoping for a miracle to emerge.

Back outside the god-being's core, Zhang Dong struggled to his feet. The impact had taken a toll on his physical form, but his spirit remained unbroken. He knew he couldn't afford to stay down; the fate of the entire universe rested on his shoulders. However, all the calculations in his head were telling him that he wouldn’t be able to. The being against which he stood was much stronger, and even when given a chance, his opponent ended up with nothing more than a few scratches that were healing themselves at a rapid pace. His own wounds, on the other hand, were much deeper, and the strange void they were in made things even more difficult.

“I’ll commend you for the attempt, only I could give myself so much trouble but playtime is over, you shall become a part of me, it’s inevitable!

The situation was dire, and escape seemed impossible. To win this fight, he would need to truly defeat his true body, a feat known to be impossible. However, just as the final clash was about to commence, he saw something. It was the once-dead void, previously empty, now filled with vast quantities of energy produced from their clash. Within this, he had an epiphany, something that could bring all of them salvation, the dead space around them was reacting…