The cycle had actually reached its end, and the point in time Chen Ke had traveled to was in 2009, which was not the "present" of this world, but the "past."
Humankind had once again met their doom, betraying the hopes of the Foundation. But fortunately, they had found the lower half of the white entity and managed to keep the Day of Stranding at bay.
Even so, Rom was not the one chosen by the real-world Foundation; he had gained the power to control time by devouring the remnants of deities, far from being on a par with Chen Ke.
Chen Ke was trinity incarnate, the power of the white entity, his own soul, plus the flesh of Lin Mo. He was the avatar of ancient humanity and the Outer Gods, the chosen one of destiny.
"You've seen it, right? Now is the time to make a choice, I have carried this heavy burden for too long... I stole your power... Now, it's time to return it..." Rom said.
