Chapter 20: Infighting, Mentor's Curse
"Wait!"
The Asura instructor, Sukhacara Sage, suddenly interjected.
Dressed in his crisp white sacrificial robe, he took a step forward, planting his snake staff firmly beside him, then brought his hands together in prayer and bowed to the goddess Jyeshta in front of him.
"Goddess!"
"Please stay here for the moment, this is a critical time and we cannot afford to be without people here!"
Sukhacara Sage said with a grave look in his eyes.
He indeed sensed that Goddess Jyeshta was intimately related to Goddess Lakshmi, as close as sisters, but something seemed amiss.
His wisdom was alerting him.
Sending Goddess Jyeshta back to Earth now might lead to unexpected complications.
It would be better to keep Goddess Jyeshta among the Asura army for now. Then, he could undergo a meditation session. During the meditation, by harnessing the power of the Vedas, he would explore his inner self and the external world to understand the identity of Goddess Jyeshta.
However, Jinmu Asura wasn't listening at all.
"Instructor!"
"With me here, the Devas won't stand a chance against the Asuras, not to mention my brother is also on the verge of completing his intense asceticism. Even the Three Aspects Deity will be powerless against us then," he said.
Jinmu clenched his fist and thumped his chest with his right hand.
A thunderous booming sound emanated from his chest as if the very earth was shaking, embodying a vast and boundless strength.
Having said that, Jinmu no longer paid any attention to Sukhacara Sage and gestured to Asura [Holika].
"Go!"
"After returning to Earth, build a temple for the goddess, light the fire sacrifice and offer tributes, and worship this goddess well!"
"I swear by the name of the King of Asura, from now on, Earth will be your eternal home!" Jinmu Asura, turning his head away, spoke a flurry of beautiful words and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture, smiling to greet Goddess Jyeshta.
Boom!
The Earth trembled slightly at that moment as if it had heard Jinmu's oath, acting as a witness to the commitment between them.
Upon hearing these words, Goddess Jyeshta's hideous face blushed, and she couldn't help but show signs of being touched.
Her bulging fish-like eyes blinked, and a surge of emotional gratitude emerged as she nodded vigorously.
"From now on, I will stay in the Earth!"
Goddess Jyeshta expressed her gratitude.
"Hahaha, good!" Jinmu Asura laughed triumphantly. "The Earth needs a goddess like you!"
Sukhacara Sage's face stiffened, resembling a stone in an outhouse. He said no more and turned to walk away.
Fool!
Lacking strategy!
But Jinmu acted as if he hadn't seen anything and simply turned his head away.
This old man had always been nitpicking. He had already welcomed a goddess, and once the churning of the Milk Sea was over, they were close to defeating the Devas, yet this old fool kept on nagging and causing dissent.
Now that he was gone, there was peace!
Seeing Sukhacara Sage leaving, the Asura Vajra took a step forward, intending to call him back.
But after taking that step, he didn't continue with the second one.
Instead, his figure hesitated, and he looked doubtfully at his elder brother, Jinmu.
As sons of Diti, he should not contradict his elder brother or refute the orders of Jinmu, the King of Daityas.
"Alas!"
"Perhaps only Jīnchuáng can persuade Jinmu," he sighed and withdrew his step.
Jīnchuáng was Jinmu's twin brother who was currently on Earth, attending a prolonged and harsh meditation before the Creator God Brahma, and was not present at the Milk Sea.
"Instructor!"
Asura [Brahman], anxious in his heart, looked around a few times before quietly making his move, and carefully flew out.
Whoosh!
Above the Milk Sea, Sukhacara Sage flew out with a dark expression, intending to return to Earth.
"Instructor! Instructor!"
Suddenly, a voice rang out behind Sukhacara Sage.
Could it be that Jinmu had a change of heart?!
Sukhacara halted and slowly turned around, only to see [Brahman] behind him. Disappointment flashed in his eyes.
"Instructor!"
Brahman brought his hands together in prayer and respectfully bowed to Sukhacara Sage.
"What is it?"
Sukhacara Sage asked with a stony expression.
With a smile on his face, Brahman respectfully said to Sukhacara Sage, "Instructor, Jinmu is arrogant and proud, I come to apologize for his impoliteness!"
Sukhacara had no time for small talk.
Brahman came to find him for this reason?
What a joke!
"Stop talking nonsense. What exactly do you want to say? Speak now or I'll leave,"
Sukhacara snorted coldly.
Hearing this, Brahman's face tensed up, he took a deep breath, and said, "I wish to request you, mentor, to go to our Danava Clan's palace to guide us in defeating the Devas."
Upon hearing this, Sukhacara sized up Brahman from head to toe.
"I know you, Brahman!"
"You are the son of Diti, the king of the Danavas. You seem rather wise at this point,"
Sukhacara said in a deep voice.
The Asura are essentially divided into two main branches.
One is the children of Diti, known as the Daityas!
The other is the children of Diti, known as the Danavas!
Brahman's heart lifted at these words, and he quickly brought his hands together in gratitude, exclaiming with joy, "Tha..."
But before the word of thanks could be completed,
Sukhacara changed his tone, a cold smirk on his face.
"Ha, unfortunately, you are too weak!"
"Let's not even mention Jinmu and Jīnchuáng, can you even defeat Vajra Body?"
"You can't!"
The Sukhacara Sage stared at Brahman, enunciating each word methodically.
Brahman's excited expression cooled down.
"The current master of the Heavenly Realm, Indra, is incredibly powerful!"
"Even if you became the Earth Realm's Master and received the Earth's blessings, you still couldn't defeat Indra and would be killed by him. Furthermore, Indra is now stronger and even wiser than before!"
The Sukhacara Sage continued.
Brahman's face turned an iron blue.
"You are tens of thousands of years away from defeating Indra!"
Sukhacara's voice was flat, striking at the core of Brahman's heart. "With such thoughts, you'd be better off dedicating yourself to asceticism."
Brahman's face turned from blue to black, his lips trembled, and he was extremely sullen.
"Arrogance may be Jinmu's flaw, but his power is genuine, and his asceticism is earnest; Jīnchuáng may be stubborn, but that is precisely why his Power of Asceticism surpasses Jinmu's."
"Most of your contemporaries among the Daityas are stronger than you. You might as well go back and have more children; perhaps then you might stand a chance."
"I am pleased that you came to me, but I am angry that this is why you sought me out. You are the adopted son Diti gave up to Diti; Jinmu is also your older brother. Are you so eager to rise against Jinmu?"
"Even if you succeeded, you still couldn't defeat Indra!"
"I advise you to take care of yourself!"
As Sukhacara Sage's words fell.
"Enough!"
Brahman roared angrily.
His eyes turned blood-red, his hair and beard flew wildly, clearly enraged to the extreme, and suddenly, a large Curved Saber appeared in his hand.
At this moment, he had lost his composure. It's one thing to know some things oneself, but quite another to have them spoken aloud.
"Merely Indra. If Jinmu can defeat him, so can I. I, too, can seize the Heavenly Realm!"
"I will definitely defeat Indra!"
"Shut your mouth!"
Brahman shouted angrily, the Curved Saber in his hand flashing with golden light, swinging towards the Sukhacara Sage.
Swish!
The Sukhacara Sage glared furiously, an ominous aura erupting instantly.
"How dare you!"
How dare you! How dare you! How dare you!
In the midst of Sukhacara Sage's bellow, Brahman stumbled, his chest heaving, his fury seemingly quelled somewhat.
"Brahman, you dare to strike me!"
"I curse you!"
The Sukhacara Sage's white hair whipped about, his voice echoing nonstop, as he cursed furiously.
"Brahman, everything you cherish will be taken away by Indra!"
"You will also die by Indra's hand!"
At these words, Brahman's whole body stiffened, his eyes glazed, standing frozen in place.
Cherished things?
"My wealth? My throne, or... my daughter?"
"Shachi?"