The universe seemed to throb, as if had a heartbeat and was responding to the call with enthusiasm.
God Emperor frowned, sensing the arrival of something but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
Architect's lips curled into a supremely confident smile and he said. "You can be proud of yourself. You've planned for so long, split your own consciousness, lived many lives you don't even remember and studied all the divine avenues even though your main body wouldn't get any of the benefits until you reach rank 3.
You killed all your children.
You slaughtered all the rank 2s to study their paths.
You bet everything for this.
And you won."
He slowly brought his hands together and gave a small clap.
It felt like genuine appreciation. But it also simultaneously felt like mockery.
Was he admiring Thoren's resolve or was he laughing at it, calling it futile even though he seemed to be losing?
"This victory, that you are feeling now, is your final victory. Savor it well." Architect clapped once more.
The foundational laws of the universe materialized.
The river of time, the maze of space.
The tree of life, the book of death.
The dice of order and the fire of chaos.
These were the highest forms of laws, the very concepts in their incarnated form. They were faint, perhaps they couldn't be confined to a fully material form.
God Emperor narrowed his eyes, understanding what his enemy wanted to do and it refreshed his understanding of what he could do.
"Using the universe against me, not very unexpected."
Architect shrugged, as if he wasn't ashamed that he was using the power of the whole universe against a single being.
"But you really don't have much control over the universe, do you? It's lower than I thought." God Emperor had a mocking smile.
Architect scowled, his eyes shining with a dangerous glint.
"Looks like I hit a nerve." God Emperor chuckled.
If anyone who knew Varian was here, they'd recognize it as his manner of speaking. A good student indeed!
"You don't really own the universe, do you? You did create it, but I don't think it came from you. There's either someone or some thing you used.
It's the secret of origin you tried so hard to bury with the Heaven tribe, isn't it?" God Emperor said in a nonchalant voice.
Architect let out a small laugh but his eyes showed fury. "How dare you, lowly mortal, speak of my affairs?"
"Is that what you truly think of me? A mortal? A being as strong as you?" God Emperor shook his head in disbelief, as if even with his long life experience, he couldn't believe this guy.
"Do you really think this is all my power? I am very, very weakened. So weakened that even a wretched insect like you can fight me to a stand still.
But once I end you, I will take this universe and not only recover fully but also reach the new peaks I did everything for." Architect said without a trace of doubt in his tone.
The six phantoms of the laws glowed brilliantly, boosting him with great strength.
God Emperor frowned and then he clenched his fist. The giant palm turned into a fist and struck the empty space.
The whole of universe trembled and then a small click was heard. Tiny cracks appeared on these law phantoms.
"If you want to use the universe to help you, then I will simply destroy it so you can't take its help."
God Emperor waved his hand, giant fists appeared all over the universe, punching into the very fabric of the universe.
"Don't even dream." Architect said with arrogance but attacked without holding back.
The balance scale blocked fists with one side while transferring that attack at God Emperor with another.
Since Architect was receiving ample boost from the universe's paths, he was now significantly stronger than God Emperor, reaching peak rank 3.
But God Emperor's strength was also at the level of a peak rank 3 despite being a high rank 3 himself, thanks to the meticulous use of the three slivers.
Until now, he was dominant. But that dominance had now flipped and he's being injured by Architect.
Empty cracks appeared in God Emperor's body, as if parts of him were removed with each attack.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
But he kept at it, violently attacking the universal fabric everywhere.
As a result, more and more cracks were appearing on the materialized law phantoms, indicating that the laws were now unravelling faster and faster.
This manifested as more and more natural calamities across the universe.
The so-called 'Apocalypse' of the world accelerated many times over.
As the battle progressed, it soon reached a strange equilibrium.
God Emperor sustained several injuries, a few parts of his body just blank and his strengthen had considerably decreased.
Architect's strength fell significantly more as the phantoms of laws now had significant cracks.
They were both significantly weaker than before and were weakened to roughly the same strength.
Evenly matched, they both grew serious.
If they had even a slight disadvantage in this confrontation, it'd keep growing and the battle would be lost.
They couldn't even spare a single thought on anything else.
God Emperor wanted to attack his enemy's mind.
"I should also be able to reach rank 4. But I can't do it. You're playing tricks again, aren't you? You coward." He said with disdain as a giant fist shook the heavens.
"Rank 4?" Architect had a disdainful smile. "What do you think a rank 4 even means? I don't get how a creation can be so arrogant against its own creator. You are a defective product, you'll never go beyond this state. Realize the truth and surrender."
God Emperor's eyebrows furrowed.
"Defective." Architect repeated, finding his enemy's discomfort greatly enjoyable.
"The divine paths you are walking are designed by me. You, your race, everything comes from my design. Why would I give you the ability to surpass rank 3? No matter what you try, how you try, you'll never do it."
God Emperor clenched his jaw. "But I'd like to try."
A brilliant light emerged from him and the balance scale was smashed to pieces.
It quickly re-emerged but Architect looked a little pale and very annoyed.
"Once I crush you, the whole universe will be at my mercy."
"My exact words. Only you are standing in the way."