Narada's voice carried a bewitching quality, and his words sounded exceedingly earnest, as though they made perfect sense.
As he spoke, Narada smiled.
His eyes flickered as he looked around, yet he did not see Indra anywhere.
"The Heavenly Emperor isn't here?"
Narada asked.
Agni looked thoughtful. "The Heavenly Emperor is preparing a counteroffensive plan, to retake the Heavenly Realm..."
Clap!
Narada brought his hands together with a crisp sound, then spread them apart and smiled. "A counteroffensive plan? Isn't that exactly what the Lord wants? So where did the Heavenly Emperor go?"
As he spoke, he hugged his Veena and walked out of the divine hall to begin searching.
The gods also halted their feast and followed Narada through Sudarshana City, searching for Indra's whereabouts.
"He isn't in Joy Grove!"
"He isn't in the Grove of Many Chariots either!"
Narada and the gods searched everywhere.
Vayu moved swiftly, riding wild winds as he searched through the palaces of Sudarshana City. He swept past the skirts of the Heavenly Maidens, brushed over jeweled trees, and set off rustling sounds.
"Where is he?"
"Where are you, Heavenly Emperor?!"
Vayu worriedly looked about.
At last, in Zalin Garden.
Beneath a Bodhi tree.
Vayu saw that familiar figure he had been longing to find.
His eyes widened in shock. He abruptly froze in midair, drew his hands before himself, and stared ahead in both surprise and fear.
"Power of Arduous Cultivation!"
Vayu murmured.
He looked carefully.
Beneath that Bodhi tree, Indra lay with both arms tucked behind his head. He wore plain white garments, and waves of Power of Arduous Cultivation continuously rippled around him.
Had Vayu not sensed that familiar divine power, he might not have recognized him as Indra.
And besides...
The Heavenly Emperor was cultivating arduously again!
At the