"We can begin," the Opposer said after he arrived.

To Gravis and Mortis, the Opposer didn't feel different. After all, they hadn't seen his interaction with his wife.

Orthar had seen it, but he didn't care.

"Condense your Cosmoses," Orthar said to Gravis and Mortis.

Gravis and Mortis threw each other a glance.

For some reason, the atmosphere between them was somber.

It was like they were saying goodbye to each other.

After some seconds, the two closed their eyes and summoned their worlds behind them.

WHOOOM!

Their Cosmoses began to widen and shine. When Peaceful Serenity had done that, the clouds of tribulation had appeared above her, but those clouds didn't appear for them. After all, there was no more sense in keeping up the act.

As this happened, the powerful Cultivators in the highest world looked up with surprise.

The Energy!

It was falling!

They tried to find where the Energy was going, but they couldn't find it. The Energy was simply leaving the highest world.

The most powerful Cultivators also checked the other worlds, but they also couldn't find anything. However, when they tried to check the void between worlds, they became shocked.

Their Spirit Sense was blocked!

Their Spirit Senses could look into the worlds but not into the void between worlds!

This quickly told them that the reason why the Energy was reducing was inside the void between worlds. Yet, they couldn't find out what this reason actually was.

Not even the Heaven's Magnates could look into the void between worlds. However, they didn't need to in order to find the reason.

They simply had to check who was missing.

Who was missing?

Gravis, Mortis, and, surprisingly, the Opposer.

When they noticed that, they became nervous.

Was the Opposer using Gravis and Mortis to overthrow Heaven?

However, their thoughts didn't matter. They couldn't change anything regardless.

They were the most powerful Cultivators, but they were just as helpless as the mortals.

Their power made no difference in front of the Opposer and Heaven.

As Gravis and Mortis absorbed more and more Energy, Orthar looked at the Opposer.

"Since I have more Energy, I will take on the first step by myself. After that, I will strengthen Mortis while you can strengthen Gravis," Orthar said.

"No, I want to strengthen Mortis," the Opposer said coldly.

Orthar only looked into the Opposer's eyes neutrally. He had already known that the Opposer would say that.

However, the statement made no difference.

He was the one in control, and he knew that.

"You have no choice," Orthar said. "I will strengthen Mortis. Do not forget. Time is on my side."

"You only have this single chance to turn the tide. I can abandon this chance. You can't."

Silence.

On the outside, the Opposer didn't seem any different, but inside, he was nearly exploding with rage.

His eyes took on a cold gleam.

WHOOOM!

The aura of Orthar's Cosmos changed into a very aggressive one. Orthar's Cosmos had immediately gathered all its power on three points.

80% of his power was locked onto the Opposer, while the remaining 20% was locked onto Gravis and Mortis.

Gravis and Mortis didn't feel the change since it was too subtle. They couldn't feel the killing intent of someone on the power level of Orthar.

"What is it?" Orthar asked coldly. "Is it my way or no way?"

A cold aura of Brutality appeared around the Opposer.

It threatened to destroy all of existence.

However, even after several seconds had passed, nothing happened.

Orthar was right.

This was not a negotiation.

This was not a compromise.

This was a capitulation.

Orthar was the one in control, and there was nothing the Opposer could do.

The Opposer looked at Gravis and Mortis, his eyes appearing cold. Yet, deep inside, he felt unending rage, hatred, and frustration.

At whom?

At himself.

He was so powerful that only Heaven could fight him.

Yet, even though he had all of this power…

He couldn't protect his two sons.

Nor his wife.

For his entire life, he had worked to become the most powerful being in existence. He had suffered for it time and time again. His Cosmos was throwing him into a crisis of life and death every single day.

Yet, all of this wasn't enough to protect the few people he cared about.

He was too weak.

He hated himself for being so weak.

For a second, the Opposer hesitated.

Yet, in the end, the Opposer's mind returned to its stalwart standard.

He wasn't powerful enough to protect the ones he loved at this moment, and he couldn't change that.

However, as long as he could survive, he could achieve the power to protect his new loved ones in the future.

It was a cruel thought, but it was the only realistic one.

The Opposer knew that he couldn't protect his three loved ones at this moment. So, he had to accept the situation and plan for the future.

"Fine," the Opposer said.

The aggressive Energy in Orthar's Cosmos relaxed.

"Good," Orthar answered.

The two no longer spoke.

Gravis and Mortis were concentrating on solidifying their Cosmoses. They had to transform their Cosmoses from their ethereal state into an actual physical state first. Only when their Cosmoses actually existed could they work on building and changing them.

Gravis and Mortis didn't react to the conversation between Orthar and the Opposer.

Had the two of them kept their conversation a secret?

No.

Why?

Because it didn't matter.

It had never mattered.

All four of them knew how this day would go.

They had known for nearly ten million years.

Was this a day of celebration? Was this the day the feud between the Opposer and Heaven would finally resolve peacefully?

Of course not.

Anyone that had seen Orthar just now probably realized one thing.

Orthar was not the suppressed one.

Orthar was not the victim.

Orthar was the one in control…

And he always had been.

When Orthar had talked to Gravis and Mortis in the higher world, he had said that he had been the victim. He had told them that he wanted to resolve everything peacefully with the Opposer.

Yet, was that the truth?

His arguments had definitely been convincing and logical. He had even smiled at just the right times to appear innocent and friendly.

But who was Orthar?

Think back to the Orthar in the middle world.

Think back to the story of how Orthar had become the ruler over all sea beasts.

Who was Orthar?

Was he an innocent person?

Was he an honest person?

Was he a nice person?

Was he a selfless person?

Of course not.

Orthar's entire existence had revolved around schemes after schemes after schemes after schemes.

Orthar had backup plans for backup plans for backup plans for plans for eventualities that had nearly no realistic chance of happening in the first place.

Why had Orthar always been so nice to Gravis and Mortis?

Going along with an illusion made it easier for everyone else to accept it.

There was this small hope.

What if what Orthar had proposed actually happened?

What if Orthar was actually fine with letting the Opposer go?

This was the possibility that Mortis and Gravis had always desired.

For millions of years, they had chased after this possibility.

Yet, deep inside, the two of them had always known that this was only a dream.

As soon as they had seen the identity of the highest Heaven, deep inside, they had realized that this would never end peacefully.

But what if?

What if?

But the what-if would never happen.

This was Orthar.

Orthar chased power.

Orthar could use everything inside his own Cosmos outside of his Cosmos.

With the Opposer inside Orthar's Cosmos, Orthar was unmatched on the outside.

Yet, the Opposer was also a blade hanging over Orthar's head.

Orthar had to get rid of the Opposer.

But Orthar couldn't let go of the power.

So, the obvious solution was to get rid of the Opposer and absorb his Cosmos.

With that, Orthar would have the power of the Opposer without the associated danger.

As for the balance between Energy and Death to keep the Opposer's Cosmos running, that wasn't an issue for Orthar.

Orthar only had to err on the side of Death. As long as he didn't eradicate Death inside the Opposer's Cosmos, he wouldn't be in danger.

Orthar had many times more Energy than the Opposer, and if there were too little Energy in the Opposer's Cosmos, Orthar could simply shove in more.

Orthar needed that power.

He wanted that power.

He would get that power.

As for Gravis and Mortis?

They would be Orthar's keys to finally getting rid of him!

Soon, the Opposer and Orthar would fight again. This would be their first genuine fight in 50 billion years. The incident ten million years ago was, at most, a scuffle.

This time, they would fight to the death.

And Orthar would finally get rid of this tumor!