Chapter 485: Chapter 428: I’m the Thief of Flowers, Dream On! (Vote for me monthly!)
Boom!
Rumble!
These four simple characters seemed like thunderclaps from a distant sky: formless yet deafening, echoing nonstop.
The gaze of Indra sharpened as he looked at The Namesake Bali, noting the anxiety in his expression, the stagnation in his breath, and the tight clasp of his hands—tense like a drawn bowstring.
"Don’t get agitated!"
"Listen to how loud your heartbeat is, it’s making quite a ruckus!"
Indra spoke.
Upon hearing this, The Namesake Bali was slightly startled.
He quickly raised his hand, softly pressing it against his chest and then took a deep breath to calm his emotions.
Those thunderous heartbeats finally ceased!
Gone without a trace!
Indra shook his head.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and he crossed his legs, sitting down on the ground and facing The Namesake Bali.
"So, the voice in your meditation said, ’I am the Heavenly Emperor.’"
Indra said.
At this moment, his eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked at the person before him.
The present Heavenly Emperor was clearly Kashigyakya and, even considering other candidates, it definitely wasn’t the man before him.
That voice in his head was worth pondering!
"Exactly!"
The Namesake Bali confirmed firmly, his tone heavy as he shook his head.
His brow furrowed, tension and worry evident on his face.
"This is too strange!"
"I feel there’s something fishy here!"
The Namesake Bali muttered to himself.
As he said this, he slowly lifted his head, gazing at the King of Asura, Bali, and whispered, "I was a bit puzzled before, but now I suspect that I might be cursed!"
At this, The Namesake Bali fell into deep thought.
That internal voice was clearly trying to guide him, to prompt him to do something.
Even though the voice often spoke in riddles, the mystery was too great, and he was not willing to take the risk.
"Meditate again!"
"Let me take another look!"
Indra said.
He was curious and had to see it once more.
"Meditate again?"
"Yes, try it. If it is a curse, maybe we can figure out who cast it!"
"Alright!"
The Namesake Bali nodded and immediately agreed.
Whoosh!
His eyelids twitched, his eyes closed, his mind tranquil, like a still lake.
At this moment, the aura around The Namesake Bali gradually calmed, his heart beating steadily and rhythmically, the turbulent blood in his body quieted, and he entered the Meditation State.
Seeing this scene, Indra blinked.
He lifted his hand and waved it gently in front of The Namesake Bali’s face.
"It seems he not only has secrets,"
"But big secrets!"
Indra murmured softly.
His eyes twinkled, fixedly staring at The Namesake Bali before him.
The next moment, his hands gently rested on his coiled knees like lotus flowers, and streams of golden light immediately surged from behind his head.
The golden light flickered, forming a gigantic golden eye behind him.
The golden eye blinked, looking around, like an orb of light, until finally its gaze settled on The Namesake Bali.
The pupil of the giant eye suddenly constricted.
Whoosh!
In that colossal pupil, countless dazzling eyes appeared, myriad and flickering within the giant pupil like foam on the milk sea, flickering in and out of existence.
The Thousand-Eye Power was instantly activated.
Indra felt as if his gaze, sharp as a sword, pierced through the formidable flesh of the Naga King, venturing deeper.
But instead of seeing anything, he first heard a voice.
Soon, he heard waves of fervent voices of praise.
"Om~ Praise thee, Mahadeva!"
"Om~ Praise thee, Mahadeva!"
...
This was the inner voice of The Namesake Bali.
"Not this one!"
Indra thought to himself.
This was evidently the voice of The Namesake Bali.
But swiftly, a faint voice burst forth, reverberating and resounding, coming as if from afar.
"I am... the Heavenly Emperor!"
This voice seemed to reach from afar, as if it came from the deepest part of The Namesake Bali’s heart, elusive in its origin.
But Indra was not one to give up easily!
"!!!"
Indra’s gaze sharpened.
His Thousand-Eye Power suddenly sprang into action, a multitude of eyes swiftly converging, like a long spear piercing through the darkness, he looked sharply in the direction of the voice.
Whoosh!
In the next moment, Indra’s eyes suddenly brightened, feeling a surge of white light pouring in.
His gaze intensified as a peaceful vista appeared before his eyes.
"!!!"
"Is this the Heavenly Realm?"
Indra surveyed the scenes unfolding before him.
This place was indeed the Heavenly Realm, covered in a myriad of auspicious lights, gentle as the milk from a sacred cow, filled with a milky-white brilliance.
Within this gentle white light.
Golden temples stood tall, each towering tens of thousands of yojanas high, adorned with fresh flowers and jewels.
Exquisite to the extreme!
Of course, the most eye-catching of them all was the Heavenly Emperor’s Temple.
The Heavenly Emperor’s Temple shone like crystalline glass, piercing the heavens.
An endless golden radiance emanated from this temple, illuminating the entire Heavenly Realm like the sun.
"This must be a place from memory."
"It is indeed the Heavenly Realm!"
"But it’s not my Heavenly Realm!"
Indra said, standing before the Heavenly Emperor’s Temple.
This place resembled the Heavenly Realm, yet there were certain aspects that were not quite right, such as the Asura sculptures he had worked so hard to acquire that were now missing.
As Indra was taking it all in, another voice abruptly resounded, echoing in his ears.
"I am... the Heavenly Emperor!"
This voice came from the Heavenly Emperor’s Temple ahead.
Indra lifted his head.
He moved in silence, stepping forward and climbing the steps toward the Heavenly Emperor’s Temple.
He wanted to see if this Heavenly Emperor was the real deal, or a counterfeit, whether there were any anti-counterfeit marks.
Step! Step! Step!
With the faint sound of footsteps, Indra finally arrived at the grand entrance of the temple.
"I’ve arrived!"
As Indra spoke, he looked ahead with great interest.
He saw several tiers of high platforms surrounding the area, and at the very top, there sat a golden throne. On the throne was a figure.
The figure had large horns on its head and a towering stature.
Like an ancient giant, unchanged through the eons.
Head bowed low, its face was concealed, but one could feel that it was evidently an Asura!
"An Asura?"
Indra tilted his head.
As soon as he spoke, the figure seemed to be roused by his voice. The occupant of the throne began to move, slowly lifting its head.
The figure’s face was blurry and shrouded in a layer of white light, making it difficult to distinguish its identity.
But in that moment, Indra could feel the other’s gaze falling upon him.
"I am the Heavenly Emperor!"
The voice of the figure on the throne was deep and heavy as if speaking with great effort.
Indra stood still, silently listening for the next words.
"I am the Ferryman!"
"I am... the Stealer of Flowers!"
