Maitreya Buddha leisurely reached out and stroked Qin Guang's body. Seeing that smiling expression, Qin Guang grew even more frightened.
Tathagata Buddha smiled and nodded, indicating that was indeed the case.
"At this very moment, I can of course sense that this young man is very important to you. I can even conceal the Beyond the Heavens aura on him. But why should I do that?"
"If I do this, you'll gain a tremendous benefit. But what about me?"
At that moment, Maitreya Buddha was like a beast baring its claws. He stared at Tathagata Buddha, and all warmth had vanished from his expression.
When Tathagata Buddha heard that Maitreya Buddha could truly accomplish all this, he was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Since that's the case, I won't beat around the bush. What do you want? I can agree to anything, as long as you can accomplish what I ask."
"Straightforward. I need you to give me part of your primordial spirit. I'm talking about the most core portion."
Maitreya Buddha regained the bearing of an old fox and spoke leisurely to Tathagata Buddha.
"You want my primordial spirit? The most core portion, at that? Do you take me for a fool? You want to kill me so you can quickly take the supreme position in Buddhism, don't you?"
Tathagata Buddha flew into a rage. He stared coldly at Maitreya Buddha and spoke each word distinctly.
Maitreya Buddha shook his head and said calmly, "I am your future self. Besides, the Prehistoric World is so turbulent now. The Formless Realm is wreaking havoc among mortals and could invade at any moment, while the threat from Beyond the Heavens is even greater. This isn't a good time. There's no need for me to remove you and put myself in front."
"Then