While Su Mo was playing the patient fisherman, enjoying the company of his new follower, little Black Rabbit...
In the Heavenly Realm, on Mount Meru.
"Twin Goddesses, I know you're anxious, but please, try not to be."
Within the sacred Buddhist lands, inside the God Realm, the World-Honored One sat upon his lotus throne, patiently counseling his two exceptionally distinguished guests.
"How can we not be anxious in a situation like this?"
"Calm down? How do you expect us to remain calm?"
After being driven away by Su Mo, the Twin Goddesses had come to Mount Meru to discuss their next move.
Everything that had happened was beyond their expectations, and Su Mo's declaration had made the situation incredibly perilous.
It had left the Twin Goddesses at a complete loss, with no idea what to do.
Now, hearing the World-Honored One's counsel, they still found it difficult to calm down.
"Humanity's Last Embryo has been vanquished, Su Mo is about to become the savior of Little Garden, and the apocalypse is on the verge of being overcome. For this to happen at this very moment... What is Su Mo thinking? Is it really necessary to be so fixated on a human cosmology?"
The complaints they didn't dare voice to Su Mo's face could be spoken in private.
The Twin Goddesses' position was different from that of the pantheons.
Belonging to no specific group, they didn't care whether anthropocentrism or theocentrism prevailed. Regardless of which side took charge, the value of a cosmic truth was absolute.
The reason they had previously agreed with the World-Honored One's decision was because they, too, believed that the end of mythological history meant the end of human history, which in turn meant the end of Little Garden.
Since Little Garden had already failed, it was only natural to move on and build a new one.
But now, Su Mo had defeated Azi Dahaka, revealing a different future. Naturally, the Twin Goddesses no longer saw the need to build a new Little Garden.
If Su Mo had done as the gods requested—used the cosmology he controlled to rule over all the heavens, become the King of Gods, and the master of Little Garden—both the billions of gods and the Twin Goddesses would have been overjoyed to see it happen and would have gladly submitted to his rule.
The feat of saving a multiverse was more than enough to earn their worship and allegiance.
However, Su Mo's refusal had stunned everyone. Despite being a peerless god, he insisted on building a human cosmology and becoming a candidate for the human-side Original.
Faced with this sudden crisis, the billions of gods were at a loss, able to do nothing but look to their leaders.
Unfortunately, they didn't know that even their leaders, the beings at the level of Full Authority Domains, had no idea what to do either.
Faced with the Finality Goddess's impatience, even the World-Honored One had no words of comfort.
"Perhaps he, too, has been disappointed by the corruption of the pantheons," he said with a sigh, an exclamation that, as the leader of the pantheons, he should never have uttered.
"In any case, there's no use in being anxious. Let's wait and see Su Mo's true attitude before making a judgment."
As he spoke, he raised his gaze slightly. The Buddha's wisdom eye observed the three realms and immediately spotted a figure speeding toward them like a bolt of lightning.
"Perfect timing. Indra has returned!"
The moment the words left his lips, Indra crashed through the outer defenses of Mount Meru and landed before the lotus throne.
"World-Honored One!"
Indra stared blankly at the golden body of the Buddha before him, his expression complex. Uncharacteristically, he did not bow.
"..."
Seeing this, the Buddha sighed softly, knowing full well that this Dharma Protector God disagreed with his actions.
An world-ending crisis from without, a subordinate who couldn't understand him from within. He had just finished placating the Twin Goddesses, and now he had to soothe Indra. Being the leader was truly exhausting.
But it couldn't be helped. Some responsibilities, only he could bear now.
"Indra, you hold a grudge against my decision to build a new Little Garden?" the Buddha asked bluntly.
Caught off guard by the direct question, Indra paused for a moment before nodding.
"I do! Even if it was to preserve human history, such a cowardly act has greatly damaged the prestige of the gods. Even if we build a new Little Garden, if we encounter an insurmountable obstacle, are we to run away a second time?"
Indra didn't blame the World-Honored One for using the Divine Army, himself included, as sacrificial pawns. For a war god like him, dying on the battlefield was the happiest of endings, not to mention that gods could be summoned back through their mythological history.
What concerned him more than such trivial matters was the World-Honored One's failure as a leader.
Truth be told, if he hadn't already devoted himself to Buddhism—if this were back in his days as the evil god Indra—he would most likely have joined Su Mo's banner, given his style of doing things.
Compared to the Buddha, the presence Su Mo displayed was that of his ideal leader.
Faced with Indra's bluntness, the World-Honored One felt no displeasure. On the contrary, he was quite appreciative.
Buddhism places the highest importance on cultivating the mind. A heart as pure as Indra's was closer to the state of enlightenment than those of many Buddhas.
Therefore, in response to Indra's challenge, he nodded with complete honesty.
"I was wrong."
"What?!"
Indra's eyes widened in astonishment. The Twin Goddesses in the hall also looked at Shakyamuni in surprise.
No one had expected the World-Honored One, the leader of Buddhism, to admit his mistake so frankly.
Facing their surprised gazes, the Buddha's expression was serious.
"I previously made the mistake of a cognitive bias, mistakenly believing that the end of mythological history was equivalent to the end of human history, and equating that with the end of Little Garden. That is why I made the wrong judgment."
"If Su Mo hadn't pointed out this critical point, I fear I would not have realized my error."
"No, World-Honored One, you needn't be so hard on yourself!"
The Buddha's confession completely threw off Indra, who had been in a questioning mood. He hurriedly waved his hands.
"If Su Mo hadn't broken this fate, even I wouldn't have thought of such an interpretation beforehand. It's an inherent way of thinking for us gods; it is by no means your fault, World-Honored One."
Having calmed down, Indra understood that every decision the World-Honored One had made was the best possible one from his perspective.
When certain that Little Garden was doomed, choosing to flee and preserve their strength was the most logical course of action.
It was just that no one had expected this fate to have an interpretation like Su Mo's, and no one had expected Su Mo to be able to defeat the final Last Embryo by himself.
At the end of the day, Su Mo's strength and wisdom were simply too immense, far exceeding the cognition of ordinary beings.
"There is no need to make excuses for me. Abandoning Little Garden was indeed a mistake in my judgment."
"The facts are now clear. Su Mo's success, his overcoming of all the Last Embryos, proves that Little Garden will not meet its end because of this. It also proves that the mythological cosmology can save Little Garden's future."
As he said this, he looked directly into Indra's eyes and said solemnly, "The dawn of Little Garden's future is upon us. For this very reason, we cannot sit by and watch that hope be extinguished. We cannot sit by and watch the future of Little Garden be severed."
"And Su Mo's attitude now holds more importance than the sum of all us billions of gods. Indra, do you understand what I mean?"
The World-Honored One's earnest gaze, heavy with responsibility, left Indra unable to offer any excuses.
As the World-Honored One had said, Su Mo's attitude was so critical that it directly related to the survival of Little Garden.
Thus, after a few seconds of silence, he spoke.
"I have already asked Canary about Su Mo's attitude. While there was no clear promise, she should give me a response."
"Canary?"
The Buddha recalled the name. He was about to say something but held his tongue.
The Twin Goddesses, however, exchanged a look upon hearing the name.
"I remember that name. A sage among humans. She assisted in the defeat of the Dystopia Demon Lord," the Alpha Goddess recalled.
"I remember she's the type to be full of schemes, and she's of human origin... she'll most likely side with humanity and may not tell you the truth," the Omega Goddess frowned, looking concerned.
"Indra, don't you have a more reliable candidate?"
Prying for information from an old fox like Canary had a high probability of being led astray. Compared to her, other, more simple-minded children were more trustworthy.
Hearing this, Indra's breath hitched, and he shook his head resolutely.
"I do not."
"..."
The Buddha glanced silently at Indra.
"Are there really no other options? I remember there's a vampire and a moon rabbit by his side..." the Omega Goddess pondered, still trying to find another way to get information.
"That won't be necessary. When it comes to interpersonal matters, you can trust Indra's judgment," the World-Honored One interjected, cutting off the Omega Goddess's suggestion.
"Indra himself has a good relationship with Su Mo and is acquainted with Shiroyasha and the others. Let's leave the task of gathering intelligence to him. If you two wish to try, you can ask Shiroyasha for the result yourselves. Given that Problem Child's personality, she shouldn't be good at lying."
"...A good point!" The Omega Goddess considered it for a moment and agreed with the World-Honored One.
Seeing this, the World-Honored One turned his gaze to the visibly relieved Indra.
"As for now, although we haven't received enough information yet, based on your understanding of Su Mo, what do you think he will ultimately do?"
"Me?" Indra was taken aback, pointing to himself.
"Correct," the World-Honored One nodded.
"Of all the gods and buddhas, you have had the most contact with Su Mo and have witnessed his battles from start to finish. You should have some understanding of his character, no?"
The World-Honored One's eyes were filled with trust, a trust that placed immense pressure on Indra.
Faced with the question, he thought for a few seconds, then lifted his head and, casting aside all mental burdens, stated his judgment.
"I believe that Su Mo most likely—no, not most likely, but certainly—will do as he said before: establish a human cosmology and build a human-side Original world!"
The moment he said this, the three Full Authority Domains looked over.
They were not surprised by the content of Indra's judgment; even if it was the worst-case scenario, they were already mentally prepared for it.
What concerned them more than the content of his words was the absolute certainty in his tone.