Journey of the Fate Destroying Emperor

Chapter 1663: Possible Return

Wang Wei and Wu Hong waited in silence until the situation became awkward. So, Wu Hong finally spoke: "If you have something on your mind, out with it."

"...What do you think about Supreme Unity’s return to the world?"

"He escaped?" Wang Wei swiftly asked.

"No, but he’s about to. To be truthful, I’m about to release him, kind of."

Wang Wei’s lips twitched. "I don’t mean to be rude, but are you mad?"

"You need to speak clearly as you’re not making much sense," Wu Hong commented.

"I...plan on refining him into a Foundation Pillar Pill," Maitreya said. "And since I haven’t found his Time Nexus, that means he will revive somewhere in the world that he chooses to."

The two looked at each other before returning their gaze to Maitreya. "Is this a good idea?" Wang Wei asked. "That bastard may not be your match now, but his mind makes him an immense threat. The last thing we need right now is him hiding in the shadows and messing up things."

The last thing Wang Wei wanted was for this bastard’s return, and it’s not just because he has a vendetta against him. Supreme Unity has no bottom line, so he would not be surprised if the latter actually joined with the Divine Timeline, which would instantly raise the complexity of this war by a factor of a hundred. With Supreme Unity’s scheming mind, his strength, and access to the Divine Timeline’s knowledge and resources, their combination can be described as a recipe for disaster for the Primordial Timeline.

"Why do you feel this is the correct choice?" Wu Hong asked.

"The situation is not as ideal as you may think," Maitreya said before raising her cassock to show a terrifying wound on her stomach.

"This does not look good," Wang Wei muttered. He could imagine that at the Saint level, there are no regular injuries. In the realm, their ability to heal or regenerate can’t even be described by these words, meaning every injury suffered in battle is an [Existence Injury].

"Was the Puppet that powerful?" Wu Hong asked.

"Not at all, but its battle experience trumped mine by several leagues," Maitreya explained. Since her sanctification, she has only fought one other Saint, and the latter had the same experience as her.

"I understand we are in a bad situation with only you as our Saint," Wang Wei said. "But there have got to be other ways to forge more foundation pillars, right?"

"I’ve done all the calculations," Maitreya sighed. "Because I used such a flawed method, my limit should be 10 pillars, and that’s only in the best-case scenario. I currently have 8, and I used Supreme Unity; I can reach 9. I just received a unique reward from Grand Dao – which requires a bit more work — but it should allow me to pass the hurdle and reach 10 pillars. Then, I will use the idea you inspired me to reach 11 foundational pillars.

"However, if I don’t use Supreme Unity, I can only stop at 10."

"There is still the Divine Timeline. Maybe you can acquire more information or inspiration from their knowledge reserve," Wang Wei continued.

"And how long will that take? You saw their new Puppet Saint," Maitreya explained. "The initial detection of his strength is 10 pillars, which is currently the maximum output I can use with Heavenly Dao’s help. More importantly, these puppets’ strength was originally 12 pillars — who knows if they have a means to return to their peak."

"It appears you have already made a decision," Wu Hong said. "So, why are you asking us?"

"Have I?" Maitreya replied while looking in the distance, her eyes slightly vague and lost. "I...was tempted. I had this idea long before the invasion started, and now, I can’t tell whether I want to use him because of selfishness or a genuine desire to protect the world."

The dichotomy of the nature of Buddhism and the cultivation world. Buddhism preaches selflessness, caring, and the salvation of the mind and all sentient beings. Meanwhile, cultivation is a dog-eat-world where you trample others to rise to the top. Maitreya — as someone with a genuine, pure heart — has suffered immensely because of it

Maitreya sighed to herself. After the last epiphany, she thought she had overcome these struggles. But after seeing her apprentice, Feng Heng, being such a pure monk not affected by these inner conflicts, the Great Buddha has started to doubt herself again.

"It doesn’t have to be an either-or situation," Wu Hong said. "Look at him: he’s a walking contradiction. He pursues absolute freedom, but he is shackled by love, friendship, and, to a certain extent, his own twisted version of morality. Yet, he never struggles with any inner conflict, and that’s because he accepts the complexity of his inner self and the inherent contradiction of his goal. Maybe you should do the same."

"Didn’t know I was that awesome," Wang Wei muttered under his breath.

"He’s indeed odd," Maitreya uttered as she glanced at him

"Thank...you?"

"Yes, it’s a compliment," Maitreya confirmed. "Your uniqueness — whether in personality, mind, view of the world, and even cultivation journey — is enviable. More importantly, it’s inspiring."

"As much as I would love for you guys to shower me with compliments for another few yuan epochs, let’s get back to the topic at hand," Wang Wei said. "How strong will Supreme Unity be after his return?"

"Depends," Maitreya replied. "If he revives in the Eternal Ascension World, his strength will probably drop to 1 pillar, and it will be quite unsteady since his connection to Heavenly Dao has been mostly severed. But he’s born in another world, he’ll be a Quasi-Saint."

"Quasi-Saint?"

"He’ll be able to use some Saint Skills, like hiding from other Saints, and when needed, he can temporarily regain his former strength for a few minutes. But otherwise, he’ll just be an extremely powerful Primal."

"In that case, can we somehow block his revival and ensure he is revived in another world?" Wang Wei asked. "Better yet, why do we need to kill him? Why not absorb most of his power and leave a bit in the seal to prevent his death?"

"The former is possible," Maitreya replied. "But not the latter. The reason I can use him to improve my foundation is that his soul contains a unique power he acquired from the Heavenly Dao, which has a marvelous effect on the Saint Foundation. I plan to use Hong’s Devouring Seal to refine that power. I expect resistance from him, so I’m not confident that I can find the power I need while keeping a sliver of his soul alive."

"Unique power from Heavenly Dao? That does not sound like good news," Wang Wei frowned. There were many flawed Saints from the Ultimate Taboo, and in the future, there will probably be even more. If these people knew refining Heavenly Dao could help improve their foundation, Wang Wei could imagine the chaos that would ensue.

"That information will be crucial in the future, but as of now, it’s not our concern," Maitreya nodded. It’s up to Grand Dao to find a way to successfully manage all these powerful and chaotic Saints, whether by keeping the information locked or by other means.

"Is there really no other way?" Wang Wei frowned. "What about the incomplete Dao Quintessence? Couldn’t that increase your foundation?"

"It should, but I’ve been comprehending the seals for an absurd amount of time, and the progress has been minimal," Maitreya sighed. "Whatever item that the Erudite Duchess allowed you to comprehend must be of unparalleled value."

"I have figured as much," Wu Hong stated. She has lent unique seals to all her close friends and allies, such as Yan Hai and Qiyuan, and so far, no one has succeeded in comprehending a Dao Quintessence. As such, she’s been worried that Wang Wei will also face a similar situation.

Wang Wei sighed deeply, which elicited a look from Wu Hong. "Aren’t you worried too much?"

"Think about it: Supreme Unity is the worst kind of enemy. He’s overwhelmingly more powerful, he’s very patient, has a great scheming mind, and, more importantly, he can now work in the shadows," Wang Wei explained. "And now that I think about it, will he still be as cold and indifferent since he’ll no longer be attached to Heavenly Dao?

"If he has emotions, he’ll be more likely to act out of anger for what I did to him. Of course, it’s a good thing since he’ll also be more likely to reveal a flaw, but the last thing I want on my mind now is for an emotionally deranged Quasi-Saint to be eying me from the shadows."

"He practiced Taishuang Indifference, which is why he was able to successfully fuse with Heavenly Dao without his mind collapsing, so I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that," Maitreya reassured.

"I guess that’s some good news," Wang Wei said with a wry smile. "Maybe it’s because of all the trauma that bastard put me through, but I’m not liking the idea of his return."

Maitreya looked at him. "The refining process will take a while. Maybe a better choice will come up, and I won’t have to."

"Let’s hope."