Primordial Chaos, Near the Eternal Ascension World:
Maitreya stopped her attack and distanced himself from Supreme Unity. After noticing he was not attacking, she spoke: "Did you sense that?" Unfortunately, she receives a blank stare as a response. "Something has obviously happened to our home, and you're the only one capable of knowing what it is."
Supreme Unity did not respond to her. Instead, he looked in the distance. His facial expression was as if he had facial paralysis, rendering it virtually impossible to glean any information.
"You should understand how weak we are. If something goes wrong, we will only become resources to these ancient and mighty beings," Maitreya continued. "So, if you know something, tell me. You may not care what happened to everyone else, but you should care about your safety."
Supreme Unity glanced at her. He knew something, but not as much as she believed. Heavenly Dao has regained most of its power because of that bastard Wang Wei, so Supreme Unity was only able to detect a foreign thing or maybe an entity had invaded the world, but nothing more.
"Do you really not care anymore?" Maitreya asked with gritted teeth. She was not frustrated, but the terrifying sense of foreboding she felt before had returned after Time Eater's death. Maitreya practiced Buddhist ideals of kindness, compassion, and empathy. Due to her spiritual practice, her spirit was sensitive to others' emotions.
The forewarning about the upcoming catastrophe was not just a warning of danger and possible death but of the devastation and pain that the entire world was about to face. Maitreya could sense the suffering the entire world—mortals or cultivators—was about to experience in the catastrophe.
"What will happen if I help you?" Supreme Unity asked. "Will we suddenly start working together for the betterment of the world?"
Maitreya's body jerked slightly: "If you stop your actions and make a few binding promises, I don't see why not."
Supreme Unity looked her in the eyes: "After everything, you can still preserve a pure heart of compassion. I don't know whether I should praise your virtue or mock your stupidity. However, your answer is meaningless. You may have the capacity for forgiveness, but the others won't.
"In other words, the only logical course of action left for me is to continue this course and win." Supreme Unity knew he only had a few moves left to play, and they were not the best moves he could use in the current chess game. However, Time Eater's actions, while extremely dangerous, represent a new variable that could increase his chances of winning.
Maitreya looked at him. She mulled over his words before memories of everything they've experienced together flashed in her mind. Then, she thought of the upcoming catastrophe and realized something: 'I've always thought the world was a Sea of Suffering. As a Paragon, I was helpless to do anything and accepted my fate. After acquiring this power, I thought I could change things — that I could help or save everyone.
'However, the reality was the opposite. I spend too much time keeping the balance while the world's suffering continues. Then, I was distracted, and the suffering intensified. My approach, from the very beginning, was wrong.
'I cannot save everybody, at least not at my current strength. That is a fact and something I must accept. A second fact I must accept is that some things are inevitable, so I should not try to change them forcefully. My way should be to help as many people as possible within the limits of my ability while pursuing independent self-improvement.
'One day, when I have risen to a higher level of spirituality, when I have escaped the Sea of Suffering, I'll be able to help all sentient beings to escape as well.'
Maitreya's body released a golden hue before immediately returning to normal. Her natural peaceful aura became more ethereal and all-encompassing, and her eyes became brighter. A bright eye is usually a sign of a higher spirit, so Supreme Unity immediately caught all those signs.
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