The Heavenly Emperor? Not Even a Dog Would Be One!

"Indra, Heavenly Emperor!"

"You have offended the Trimurti. I curse you and all the gods!"

"Wealth, honor, luxury, divine power—everything you take pride in shall leave you, and you shall lose your dominion over the Three Realms!"

The earth-shaking roar shook the Heavenly Realm.

Rumble!

Black clouds churned as thunder rolled, like great serpents writhing through a flood, foretelling the terror of this curse's power.

Whoosh!

Indra opened his eyes and jolted awake from his dream, his face filled with exhaustion.

"I had that nightmare again!"

He swept his gaze across the dim, abandoned divine hall. The temple had fallen utterly into ruin. Its golden pillars had lost their radiance and become rotten wooden posts; its brilliant lamps had turned into mottled bronze lanterns. Even the once-glorious divine armor upon his body had become tattered rags.

All of this stemmed from Sage Durvasa's curse!

"Why am I so unlucky?"

"Of all people to transmigrate into in Indian Mythology, why did I have to become Indra, the Heavenly Emperor?"

"Indra... even a dog could piss on his head twice!!"

Indra rested his chin on one hand as he sat upon a throne that had become a straw mat, his heart heavy with gloom.

In Indian Mythology,

Brahma created the world, Vishnu sustained it, and Shiva destroyed it. The three formed an endless cycle, the Trimurti.

Indra and the other gods were all descendants of Brahma.

Sage Durvasa was an incarnation of Shiva, the God of Destruction, and possessed formidable cursing power.

The matter began when Shiva gifted Sage Durvasa a garland.

The garland represented auspiciousness.

Shiva told Sage Durvasa that he could give the garland to the bravest god. Sage Durvasa believed Indra deserved that title, so he came to the Heavenly Realm, intending to give the garland to him.

Who could have expected the Heavenly Realm to be in ruins, with all the gods indulging themselves in pleasure? This immediately provoked Sage Durvasa's fury.

Sage Durvasa stormed over to find Indra.

Indra then had his white elephant mount receive the garland.

Who knew the white elephant would fail to catch it? The garland fell to the ground, and then the elephant slipped and accidentally stepped on it twice.

Sage Durvasa flew into a rage and raised his hand to pronounce a curse.

He cursed the gods to lose their wealth and power!

Indra's divine power gradually faded, and it was at that moment that he transmigrated here, the two of them merging together.

"Sage Durvasa's curse is too powerful. The gods' divine power has now been greatly diminished."

"The Asuras will likely attack the Heavenly Realm!"

"I need to think of something!"

Indra frowned in thought.

At last, he pushed himself up with both hands, rose from the throne that had become straw, and slowly walked out of the palace.

Hoooom~

A deep elephant's call echoed out.

Airavata, the three-headed, six-tusked white elephant, strode over. He lowered himself to the ground, bowed his head, and extended his trunk to Indra's feet, signaling for him to mount his back.

"My poor little elephant!"

"Have you forgotten that Sage Durvasa cursed you too? You can't fly anymore. When I fly down to the mortal world in the future, I'll ride you then!"

Indra patted Airavata's trunk and sighed.

A mount that could not fly was better left alone.

He was afraid of falling out of the Heavenly Realm!

Airavata, the six-tusked white elephant, swayed his trunk. His eyes welled with tears as he nodded tearfully.

Indra nodded. Then he gazed into the distance, his eyes crossing endless space to look toward the far reaches of the Heavenly Realm, before taking flight toward the Temple of the Sun God.

He had decided to find Surya!

His good brother!

When Brahma first created the world, he gave birth to the six great sages from his heart. Afterward, he created Prajapati Daksha and Virini. Daksha and Virini had fifty daughters.

Daksha's eldest daughter Diti, second daughter Danu, and third daughter Aditi all married the same man.

That man was Sage Kashyapa, one of the six great sages.

The eldest and second daughters gave birth to many Asuras; the third daughter gave birth to many gods.

Indra and Surya were the sons of Sage Kashyapa and Aditi.

Whoosh!

Indra's divine power had greatly diminished. Fortunately, all the gods were in the Heavenly Realm, and he finally arrived at the Temple of the Sun God before exhausting his power.

The Temple of the Sun God had once shone most brilliantly in the Heavenly Realm, dazzling enough to sting the eyes. But now, it was pitch-black, like a house made of coal.

The many Gandharvas who served as attendants sat beneath the palace eaves like beggars.

Indra glanced around before stepping into the Temple of the Sun God.

"Indra, you're here!"

Indra looked up and saw a figure black as coal seated upon a stone throne. He was tall, his face dark as the bottom of a pot, his features impossible to make out. None of his former handsome appearance remained.

Surya, the Sun God!

Hmm!

This was the sign of a solar eclipse.

Whenever an abnormal change occurred in the universe, Surya's radiant body would turn black, transforming him into a little dark spot.

Indra was not surprised by this.

It was just that...

Indra looked at Surya sitting firmly in place and frowned slightly.

"Even if I weren't the Heavenly Emperor, I'm still your brother. You won't even stand up to speak to me?"

Indra asked.

Surya was silent for a while before answering.

"I forgot how to walk."

Indra was speechless for a moment upon hearing this. It actually seemed reasonable. This guy traveled in the Sun Chariot every day while spreading light across the mortal world, and he flew everywhere in the Heavenly Realm too.

Walking was impossible. He would never walk in this lifetime.

"I still have to drive the chariot looking like this. I'm exhausted. What do you want?!"

Surya complained.

"The gods have been cursed, and their divine power has greatly diminished. We are weak and feeble. The Asuras will likely attack the Heavenly Realm!"

Indra said gravely.

Both the Asuras and the gods were sons of Sage Kashyapa.

But the Asuras lived in the barren Netherworld and had always resented the gods for dwelling in the prosperous Heavenly Realm. Now that the gods had weakened, the Asuras would certainly make a move and lead an army into the Heavenly Realm.

Surya's expression changed. Panic instantly appeared on his blackened face.

"Then what do we do?"

"We don't even have the strength to lift weapons now. If the Asuras attack, won't we be completely wiped out?"

Surya said in alarm.

Indra raised an eyebrow slightly.

He did not care much about the position of Heavenly Emperor.

He simply did not want to become a prisoner. It would be bad if the Asuras hacked him to death!

The famous Churning of the Ocean of Milk in Indian Mythology had not yet begun, and the immortal Amrita had not fallen into the gods' hands. Gods who had not drunk Amrita did not possess immortal bodies.

If they died now, they would truly be dead!

"I have a way!"

Indra's expression hardened. He raised a hand, pointed at Surya, and pondered. "Let's undergo arduous cultivation. We'll undergo arduous cultivation together!"

"Arduous cultivation... that is a way!"

Surya nodded.

In this world, suffering had a fixed limit.

If a god or Asura endured suffering far beyond that limit, they would gain great merit and produce powerful Power of Arduous Cultivation. This power was enough to shake the world and cause flaws within it.

The gods had to grant blessings to the ascetic and bestow immense power upon them to pacify the Power of Arduous Cultivation and maintain the world's operation.

Such blessings came from the laws of the world and could even far surpass the power of the god granting them.

At that moment, Indra raised his hand and pointed toward the Brahma Realm.

"From this day onward, I, Indra, shall undergo arduous cultivation before Surya, the Sun God. I, Indra, shall not drink wine, sit upon a throne, wear splendid divine garments, dwell in radiant divine halls, squander wealth, flaunt magnificence or luxury, or ride a mount!"

"I shall not covet status. Whoever asks for the position of Heavenly Emperor, I shall yield the position to him."

Indra declared solemnly.

Surya sprang to his feet, eyes wide as he stared at Indra in utter shock.

He was going this far!

"Are you insane? That is the position of Heavenly Emperor, and you're actually doing this kind of arduous cultivation!"

Surya shakily propped himself up, his mouth hanging open in astonishment.

Indra could not help but laugh.

The Heavenly Emperor!

Not even a dog would be one!