Garuda!
Supreme Lord Vishnu's mount!
Several centuries ago, Garuda had gone to the Heavenly Realm in search of Indra, only to offend the Heavenly Emperor and be cursed, never to see Supreme Lord Vishnu again.
Narada actually knew about this matter.
Narada broke out in a cold sweat.
Indra smiled.
"Cursing others is still a very bad thing!"
"I don't like it!"
"But one can ask for a blessing instead. Blessings are a bit more versatile!"
"Making the Supreme Lord deliberately forget someone should work too!"
As he spoke, Indra leaned close to Narada's ear and muttered in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, "Narada, you wouldn't want the Supreme Lord to forget you either, would you?"
Narada's expression changed.
His smile froze on his face, neither quite a smile nor quite a cry.
This was trouble!
"Uh..."
"Helping the gods resist the Asuras, preserving peace in the world, and spreading the Dharma of the cosmos are duties we sages cannot shirk!"
"Of course I'll join as well!"
Narada forced out a smile as he answered.
Hearing this, Indra nodded.
"Good!"
"Agni!"
"You will lead an army of one hundred thousand, with Narada assisting you. Head to the Human Realm, resist the Asuras' invasion, and suppress Golden Bed!"
Indra said.
"Yes!"
Agni's spirit surged.
Indra then looked toward the equally excited Vayu.
"Vayu, you will serve as the vanguard!"
"Yes!"
Vayu immediately replied.
"Surya, Varuna, you will hold the line before the army!"
"Yes!"
Two voices immediately answered.
Indra was quite satisfied with his arrangements.
"I shall wait in the Heavenly Realm for your good news. I trust you will win your first battle and defeat Golden Bed!"
Indra declared with a sweep of his hand.
"Good!"
"Once the Heavenly Realm's army arrives, we will surely defeat them!"
Sun God Surya burst into laughter.
The other three gods were equally brimming with confidence.
Their army of one hundred thousand possessed the power of Amrita, the power of immortality. Mere Asuras would be easy to capture.
Before long, the four gods set out together with the bitterly smiling Narada, mustered an army of one hundred thousand Gandharvas and gods, and marched grandly out of the Heavenly Realm toward the Human Realm.
Once those gods had left, Indra's expression changed.
His eyes shifted as he turned and hurried through the small woods of Zalin Garden.
"Someone, have everyone except the army pack their things. Those outside Sudarshana City are to return to Sudarshana City as well!"
Indra ordered in the Heavenly Emperor's Temple.
The Gandharvas and Heavenly Maidens present were puzzled, but they still obeyed Indra's command and began summoning the idle Gandharvas and Heavenly Maidens back to Sudarshana City.
"Heavenly Emperor, what are you doing?"
At that moment, Priest Sage hurried into the Heavenly Emperor's Temple.
Seeing the Heavenly Maidens busily packing around him, he could not help looking at the Heavenly Emperor in confusion, his brows furrowed.
"Teacher!"
"Golden Bed's strength is far from ordinary. I don't think this battle is certain to be won, so I'm making preparations in advance."
Indra raised a hand to his mouth and cleared his throat.
"Why?"
"Vayu is brave and skilled in battle, Varuna is calm and steady, Agni is fierce and imposing, and the Sun God is immensely powerful. They have all drunk Amrita and greatly increased their strength. Not to mention Narada is with them."
Priest Sage looked utterly baffled.
Vayu, Varuna, Agni, and Surya were all his fine disciples.
Indra fell silent for a moment.
What Priest Sage said did make sense.
But...
Those four gods could be called the Heavenly Realm's F4 of getting humiliated.
Whenever an Asura completed arduous cultivation and gained a blessing, those four would be the stepping stones.
Of course, it was not just the four of them. Four alone did not have enough weight, just as the Four Heavenly Kings had five members. The fifth king of getting humiliated was him—Indra, the Heavenly Emperor.
"I'm merely planning ahead and leaving a way out in case of defeat!"
Indra said with a smile.
"Oh?"
"Then where are you planning to go?"
Priest Sage blinked curiously.
"I thought about it for a long time and finally prepared four routes: south, north, east, and west!"
Indra held out his right hand, pressing his thumb against his palm and revealing four fingers.
"Southward, to Yama City beneath Jambudvipa. But Yama City's location is too obvious, so that is not ideal."
"Northward, to Kailasa to seek Mahadeva. But the Heavenly Realm has such a vast household, and moving our Sudarshana City over there would feel like intruding on Mahadeva and Mistress's private space. It might affect their marital relationship, so forget it."
Indra shook his head and sighed.
Priest Sage was stunned.
"Wait, did you say you're moving all of Sudarshana City over there?"
Priest Sage asked.
"Of course! How could we abandon such a huge place?"
Indra nodded as if it were only natural.
"So if we head east, we can go to the Ocean of Milk and seek Supreme Lord Vishnu. But we would have to pass through the Netherworld's space, which is dangerous and not worth it."
"Going west to the Brahma Realm is still best. It is large and spacious, and we can come and go freely."
Indra nodded, stroking his chin as he spoke matter-of-factly.
At that moment, Priest Sage was dumbfounded.
All kinds of thoughts welled up in his mind.
The Ocean of Milk and the Brahma Realm were not to the east or west either. How could he call it heading east or west?
Priest Sage quickly shook his head, throwing those thoughts away.
"Cough! Cough!"
"I think we should not be hasty. Our chances of victory are still quite high!"
"Let's first see how things are going on the gods' side!"
As Priest Sage spoke, he waved his hand, and a smooth mirror of light condensed before Indra and Priest Sage.
Whoosh!
Kailasa.
Mahadeva Shiva sat atop a great rock, one foot on the ground and the other resting upon his knee.
He nodded faintly, smiling as he closed his eyes and entered meditation.
Nandi pressed his hands together and gazed at his lord with respect and admiration.
"The Lord smiled. He must have encountered something that made him happy."
At that thought,
Nandi's long ears twitched with delight, and the corners of his mouth rose into a happy smile.
Above the Ocean of Milk.
Vaikuntha.
Vishnu let out a long breath. His face still bore its peaceful smile, though he seemed more pleased than usual.
He gently turned his head and continued looking at his wife, Goddess Lakshmi.
Brahma Realm.
Brahma was also observing the movements of the Three Realms.
Upon hearing Indra's plan, his expression tightened, deep thought written all over his face.
No way?
If that fellow really loses to Golden Bed, he won't actually move here, will he?!
It was all the fault of blessings!
"Husband, why does your complexion look so terrible~"
Goddess Saraswati smiled. Her fingers stopped plucking the Veena in her hands, and the wondrous heavenly melody abruptly ceased as she looked curiously at Brahma beside her.
Brahma's beard trembled, and his eyes shifted to one side.
"Saraswati, my wife!"
"Would you mind if there were a few more people in our Brahma Realm?"
Brahma asked softly.
"A few more people?"
Goddess Saraswati looked puzzled.
"Not many. Just several hundred thousand."
Brahma patiently explained.
"???"
Goddess Saraswati's delicate brows furrowed. She tilted her head, and a string of question marks seemed to pop up above it.
Thanks to reader Geshu OwO for the 500 Qidian Coins reward, and thanks to reader kiki_Starfish for the 2,000 Qidian Coins reward.
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