The veteran disciple beside him nodded in agreement, his tone certain. "Though Lord Asura admittedly falls short of Lord Indra's extraordinary prowess in both talent and combat strength, talent has never been the sole criterion for inheriting Ninshu! Lord Asura has a gentle heart. That is the most precious quality for leading Ninshu and bringing people together!"
Praise and congratulations filled the gathering. Everyone basked in the reassuring joy of having a new successor chosen.
Only Asura, standing at the center of the crowd, could not feel happy at all.
His expression was conflicted, his brows tightly furrowed, and his heart full of confusion, unease, and guilt.
As he looked at the lively banquet before him and everyone's heartfelt congratulations, he felt no sense of accomplishment. Instead, his anxiety only grew.
He questioned himself over and over, murmuring under his breath in self-doubt. "Can I really carry on Ninshu properly? Am I really worthy of shouldering this responsibility... Father knows perfectly well that my brother is far more talented, powerful, and capable than I am. Why did he choose me in the end?"
Asura knew all too well that his victory had come far too strangely, far too unfairly.
He had won the position and everyone's approval, but he had lost his closest brother and the bond they had shared since childhood.
"I wonder what my brother is doing now..."
Just as Asura wrestled with his doubts and everyone else reveled in their joy!
BOOOOM!!!
Thunder suddenly exploded across the heavens!
The clear, peaceful sky filled with dark clouds in an instant. Fierce winds raged, and thunder rolled overhead!
Dazzling purple divine light tore through the clouds and descended in a vast torrent. A terrifying, overwhelming pressure instantly engulfed all of Ninshu!
Everyone instinctively looked up, their pupils contracting and