"I have a suggestion," Xu Yuan said.
"Go on," the Ancient God said.
"Why not join the Universe, ascend together, and escape the Tide of Truth's power? Everyone would be better off," Xu Yuan said.
"Why don't you obediently let me kill you all and wipe you out, so I can ascend?" the Ancient God sneered.
Xu Yuan's gaze sharpened.
He had long suspected as much.
He had only been testing the Ancient God, but the answer confirmed his suspicions.
For the Universe to ascend, civilization had to reach a certain level.
Because the Universe was "life."
The Ancient God was "Annihilation."
So the Ancient God had to destroy everything before it could ascend!
—Between Truth's Two Aspects lay an irreconcilable conflict: one had to die for the other to live!
But circumstances had changed.
Although the Ancient God had swallowed the Three Realms, the Universe's power ensured that life within them continued to multiply. The Ancient God's "Annihilation" and the Universe's "Creation" were locked in a stalemate, neither able to overcome the other.
But now the Fourth Crown was complete, and the Dark Crown Ritual had reached a perfect conclusion.
With the Tide of Truth bearing down on them, everyone wanted to ascend as quickly as possible to survive.
—It was time for a final battle to the death!
The Ancient God seemed to realize it too. It suddenly loosened its grip and set Xu Yuan down.
"Thinking it over, I was the one who made a mistake."
The Ancient God spoke.
Xu Yuan froze.
—One of Truth's Two Aspects had actually admitted a mistake?
What was it thinking?
"I should never have swallowed the Three Realms. The Universe has no real power to attack; only I can destroy everything."
"If I hadn't swallowed it, and had instead kept