Curse: The Ganges Water Must Be Tasted

"The Heavenly Emperor is right. Soma must be in the Ocean of Milk."

Varuna said.

Vayu and Agni nodded as well.

"The Ocean of Milk... Goddess Lakshmi is also in the Ocean of Milk. Our divine power is growing weaker and weaker. If this continues, we may not even have the strength to fly down from the Heavenly Realm."

Surya opened his mouth wide, his face full of helplessness.

Indra looked toward Surya.

At this moment, not only had Surya's face turned dark, but even the whites of his eyes and his tongue had become pitch-black, without the slightest trace of radiance.

Even black people were not as black as him!

At that moment, Garuda's anger flared. His wings spread wide behind him, his feathers puffing up and standing on end as he accused, "If not for you, Heavenly Emperor, constantly delaying us with your arduous cultivation, we could have met Supreme Lord Vishnu long ago and sought a solution. How could Soma have vanished and the Heavenly Realm become like this?"

"So what?"

Indra turned his head, his expression turning cold.

This Garuda seemed to have been looking for trouble with him all along!

"So what?"

"So that is your reason for destroying my palace?"

"That is a minor matter. You showed no respect to the Supreme Lord. I came bearing Supreme Lord Vishnu's command and waited here for so long, yet you gave no response at all, immersed in arduous cultivation and meditation. Even Brahma once incurred Shiva's wrath by becoming immersed in meditation. What you have committed is the heinous crime of disrespecting the Supreme Lord!"

Garuda stared directly at Indra. Proud as he was, he was an eagle soaring through the skies, and naturally spoke his rebuke without restraint.

As he spoke, he grew even more furious.

He had gone through great hardship to reach the Heavenly Realm, only to find devastation everywhere.

The gods had lost their power, and all things were withering!

He had waited in vain, unable to fulfill his lord's command!

"Indra, your crimes are monstrous!"

Garuda's wings twitched, hurricanes spiraling through his feathers. He suddenly spread his right hand, golden light flashing as a massive hammer instantly appeared in his grasp. Burning with rage, he strode toward Indra.

Indra's eyes widened as he stared fixedly at Garuda.

This guy...

He wanted to hit me!

Indra froze!

The other gods were dumbfounded as well. Their mouths hung open and their eyes bulged, none daring to move.

Indra stared straight at Garuda. As he watched the other man take great strides forward and raise the golden hammer in his hand, its round shadow fell over Indra's head.

Gulp!

Indra swallowed.

He had cultivated arduously for so many years not to get beaten up!

He immediately decided to strike first!

But he had no fighting power now. He could not even summon a weapon, so there was only one way!

"Garuda!"

Indra kept up appearances, raised a finger toward Garuda, and let out a thunderous shout.

Garuda! Garuda! Garuda!

As he roared, the Power of Arduous Cultivation surged forth. The entire Heavenly Realm echoed with that deafening thunderclap, lightning rolling through the clouds.

Boom!

Rumble!

The Heavenly Realm trembled. The Power of Arduous Cultivation the Heavenly Emperor had accumulated over centuries poured forth, affecting the entire Heavenly Realm.

"Heaven has no two suns, and a nation has no two rulers!"

"There is only one sun in this world, and only one ruler in a nation. The Heavenly Realm has only one Heavenly Emperor as well, and that is I, Indra!"

"This is the Dharma of the universe!"

Indra shouted.

Garuda's movements paused slightly.

Indra's gaze was steady as he stared directly at Garuda, his tone grave.

"We share the same father, Kashyapa!"

"You are a devotee of Supreme Lord Vishnu. You live at the Supreme Lord's side, living well and happily. With the Supreme Lord protecting you, you have no need for a brother like me. Yet now that you have come under the Supreme Lord's command to invite me, you tell me, 'Indra, your crimes are monstrous.'"

"You have no respect for me at all. You do not regard me as your brother, nor do you regard me as your friend!"

"You are not even willing to call me the Heavenly Emperor!"

"Now, not only have you disturbed my arduous cultivation, you also wish to beat your own brother. Arrogance and rage have clouded your mind. You have already violated Dharma. I will curse you!"

"Garuda!"

Indra shouted.

At that moment, the Power of Arduous Cultivation transformed into a pillar of light, instantly piercing through the Heavenly Realm and the mortal world, shining into the Ganges. The Ganges water in the mortal world suddenly began to boil.

Ganga suddenly appeared above the Ganges, taking the form of a beautiful woman with four arms.

She wore a white lotus on her head and golden ornaments all over her body. Her face was like white jade, her neck graceful and her skin snow-white. One hand held a pure vase, another held a lotus, while her remaining two hands were pressed together in praise.

"Praise the Heavenly Emperor Indra!"

Ganga gazed at the Ganges water rushing toward the Heavenly Realm and praised him.

The Ganges was a sacred river. Using its water for a curse would be even more effective!

Splash!

The Ganges water crossed the void, traversed countless distances, and instantly appeared in the Heavenly Realm, drenching Garuda.

The moment the Ganges water fell, it soaked Garuda from head to toe. The water clung to his wings, and no matter how he shook himself, he could not fling it off. He had become a drowned chicken.

"Not good!"

"This is the karmic entanglement of a curse. Indra is going to lay down a curse!"

Far above the Ocean of Milk, Vishnu's calm expression turned grave as he instantly realized something was wrong.

Kailasa, atop a mountain peak.

Beneath a banyan tree, Shiva sat upon a great stone. His loose hair draped over his shoulders, the third eye between his brows closed, his gaze focused and powerful. He wore leopard skin, with a trident standing beside him. One leg was bent while the other hung loosely down, as though he were meditating.

Shiva's mount, Nandi, wore white robes. His short, drooping ears flicked as he looked toward Shiva.

"Supreme Lord, Garuda seems to have encountered trouble!"

Nandi said.

"Garuda has committed the sin of arrogance. He disturbed a devotee engaged in arduous cultivation. Indra acts in accordance with Dharma!"

Shiva said.

Having said that, he slowly closed his eyes.

Nandi was stunned for a moment, then slowly nodded, warning himself inwardly to be more careful in the future.

Brahma Realm.

Brahma could not help widening his eyes as he watched this scene.

It was already rare enough for the Heavenly Emperor to cultivate arduously. For the Heavenly Emperor to curse someone was even rarer!

The gods of the Heavenly Realm were the type to keep playing music and keep dancing. Arduous cultivation was impossible for them; they would never cultivate arduously in this lifetime.

But if Indra truly finished uttering the curse, the situation would become difficult to control!

With that thought, Brahma immediately summoned someone to go to the Heavenly Realm.

Garuda!!!

Amid that echoing voice, Garuda's expression finally turned panicked. He stared at Indra in disbelief.

The other gods watched the scene in shock.

Only a few centuries had passed since they last met, yet the Heavenly Emperor had actually straightened up!

At that moment, Garuda took a deep breath and calmed himself. As the proud Golden-winged Great Peng, he feared no curse.

"Go ahead and curse me. I will not retreat before anyone's curse!"

"Especially yours, Indra!"

Garuda gathered his courage and said.

Seeing this, Indra narrowed his eyes and stared at Garuda. Then he suddenly smiled and slowly enunciated each word.

"I curse you!"

"You will never see Supreme Lord Vishnu again. Whether by day, night, or dusk, as a devotee, your sacrifices will not be carried by the Sacrificial Fire to the Supreme Lord's side, and your hymns will not enter the Supreme Lord's ears!"

"You will never sense any trace of the Supreme Lord's presence! You will receive no response from the Supreme Lord!"

His voice rumbled on!

Boom!

Garuda was instantly struck as though by lightning!