Austerities, Garuda Is Enraged

Brahma's brows furrowed slightly, revealing a worried look.

"Indra is performing austerities now. Vishnu is probably getting anxious!"

"Why is that?"

Goddess Saraswati tilted her head, a flicker of confusion flashing through her bright eyes.

Vishnu was one of the Trimurti, the Protector God. Even if the Heavenly Emperor was performing austerities, what did that have to do with Vishnu?

Brahma shook his head and winked at his wife, wisdom gleaming in his eyes.

"Have you forgotten Sage Durvasa's curse?"

Brahma said.

With Brahma's reminder, Saraswati, the Goddess of Wisdom, immediately understood the key.

From the Brahma Realm, she gazed down at the Ocean of Milk beneath the Three Realms.

Sure enough, beside Vishnu, atop the Serpent Bed that bore the world, someone was already missing.

"I understand! His wife Lakshmi is the Goddess of Wealth, the Auspicious Heavenly Maiden. Sage Durvasa cursed the gods to lose their wealth and luxury, and as the symbol of wealth, Lakshmi disappeared from Vishnu's side as well."

Goddess Saraswati held her Phoenix-headed Lute and suddenly understood.

Brahma nodded.

"The Trimurti cannot descend casually, or it will cause upheaval in the world. That would violate the Protector God's duty. He needs sufficient karma before he can act, which requires Indra and the other gods to invite him. But now the Heavenly Emperor is performing austerities..."

"Vishnu must be quite troubled!"

Brahma said with the corner of his mouth curling upward.

"Husband, why do I feel like you're taking pleasure in his misfortune?"

Goddess Saraswati's beautiful eyes shifted as she turned to Brahma with a gentle smile.

"I'm not. I'm not doing that. You saw wrong!"

Brahma turned away, his eyes darting about as he mumbled evasively.

Above the boundless Ocean of Milk.

It was the sea of all things, the origin of everything, the foundation of the world. The Three Realms all rested above the Ocean of Milk.

Thousand-headed Serpent King Shesha coiled into a disk. His enormous body stretched for hundreds of millions of miles without end, serving as a Serpent Bed that carried Vishnu the Protector God.

At that moment, Thousand-headed Serpent King Shesha anxiously flicked his tongue. His tail helplessly churned up towering waves as all one thousand heads turned toward Supreme Lord Vishnu.

"Supreme Lord, why did Mistress suddenly disappear?"

Shesha asked.

"Don't panic!"

Vishnu reclined atop the giant serpent and smiled faintly.

He was not worried!

Not worried at all!

Naturally, he knew that the Goddess of Wealth had been affected by the curse and sunk into the Ocean of Milk. But the curse had been cast through the Power of Arduous Cultivation, so even he could not forcibly break it.

For now, the only solution was to restore the gods' divine power.

As the Protector God, he naturally had a way to restore the gods' divine power. He had even already devised the plan and gone over it several times in his mind.

He would churn the Ocean of Milk!

Affected by the sage's curse, countless treasures had returned to the Ocean of Milk. He would summon the gods and have them churn the ocean, bringing forth the many treasures formed from divine power.

Indra was performing austerities, so he would not come looking for him?

No rush!

He knew Indra far too well. Arrogant and conceited, tough on the outside but weak within.

More importantly, he had grown too accustomed to comfort and pleasure. He simply could not endure hardship.

Once Indra could no longer bear the austerities, he would naturally come looking for him. He only needed to wait.

Vishnu smiled, propped his chin on one hand, slowly closed his eyes, and fell asleep on his side.

Seeing that Supreme Lord Vishnu was not worried, Thousand-headed Serpent King Shesha felt slightly relieved.

"Supreme Lord surely has everything planned. Perhaps this is Supreme Lord's Lila!"

Lila meant a play.

All things and phenomena were held in the hands of the Trimurti. Perhaps Mistress's disappearance was merely Supreme Lord's Lila, a little amusement for lovers long separated and reunited.

Thinking this, Shesha's once-restless tail also settled into the Ocean of Milk.

Haaah~

Vishnu slowly yawned. His star-like eyes gradually opened as he gazed over the vast Ocean of Milk.

"Shesha!"

"How many years have I slept?"

Vishnu asked.

"Supreme Lord, you have slept for five hundred years!"

Shesha lowered his serpent head and replied.

To gods, time was the least valuable thing. Five hundred years was no more than the time it took to take a nap.

But...

"Five hundred years..." Vishnu blinked and muttered, then asked, "Has Indra not come?"

"No!"

Shesha's thousand heads swayed as he answered honestly.

"..."

"This is bad. Indra really hasn't come!"

Vishnu was startled. Narrowing his eyes, he immediately looked toward the Heavenly Realm.

The Heavenly Realm had become even more dilapidated!

The Heavenly Realm, once filled with pure and sacred energy, was nearly becoming like the Human Realm—utterly ruined.

The gods had grown even weaker!

Vishnu looked toward the Heavenly Emperor's Temple and saw a vast force of arduous cultivation shooting skyward, transforming into azure lightning that flickered and surged. It displayed a scene of vigorous life, with all things flourishing in competition.

"He really is performing austerities!"

Vishnu froze for a moment, then frowned.

Austerities were measured in hundreds or thousands of years, sometimes even ten thousand years.

Wouldn't it be an eternity before his wife Lakshmi could return?

Vishnu frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, his brow relaxed. He had already found a solution.

As long as he told Indra that he had a way to restore the gods' power, Indra would definitely come running over with the other gods. Then Goddess Lakshmi could return.

"Garuda!"

Vishnu softly called out his devotee's name.

Garuda! Garuda! Garuda!

The faint voice resounded over the Ocean of Milk, echoing in layer upon layer through the Three Realms, spreading across countless miles without reaching its limit.

Garuda!

Golden-winged Great Peng!

He was also Kashyapa's son, as well as Vishnu's loyal devotee!

"Supreme Lord is calling me!"

A sharp gleam flashed in Garuda's eyes.

He beat his wings, stirring up raging winds. Black gales filled the sky as though eternal night had descended, sweeping across the Ocean of Milk.

Whoosh!

His enormous wings blotted out the sky and sun. Garuda soared above the Ocean of Milk, casting a heavy shadow like night itself. Amid the endless waves, he saw his Supreme Lord Vishnu.

"Praise Supreme Lord Vishnu!"

Garuda pressed his palms together and bowed slightly, then lifted his head to gaze reverently at his Supreme Lord.

Hehe!

Vishnu smiled as he sat upon the Serpent Bed, looking fondly at his devotee.

He was not like Brahma, whose devotees were all Asuras. Once the Asuras finished their austerities, they ignored Brahma altogether!

He had countless devotees, and half of them believed in him.

"Garuda, by my command, go to the Heavenly Realm and tell the gods that I have a way to lift their curse. Tell them to come see me at the Ocean of Milk!"

Vishnu said gently.

Garuda looked at his Supreme Lord, immersed in the joy of meeting him. He had not even noticed that Goddess Lakshmi was gone.

Hearing Vishnu's order, he froze for a moment before hurriedly answering.

"I obey Supreme Lord's command!"

Garuda said.

As the Golden-winged Great Peng, he was incomparably swift. Traveling through the Three Realms was as easy for him as flitting among branches.

Before long, with a spread of his wings, he arrived in the Heavenly Realm.

Whoosh!

Garuda transformed, taking on the form of a divine man with wings on his back.

His hair was loose and disheveled. A golden circlet around his forehead bound his black hair behind him, revealing a valiant face. His golden armor gleamed brightly.

Garuda stared at the Heavenly Realm in astonishment, wondering whether he had taken the wrong path and arrived at some village in the Human Realm.

The gently drifting sea of clouds had turned into rotten, stinking mud. The luxurious palaces were gone, replaced by ramshackle straw huts that looked as if he could scatter them with a single flap of his wings.

Even the handsome Gandharvas who served the gods were covered in dust, their skin rough and sallow.

"How did the perfectly fine Heavenly Realm become like this?!"

"It's all Indra's fault!"

Garuda came to his senses, clenched his fists, and revealed an enraged expression.

He was angry!

Garuda was enraged!