Chapter 27: Blessing (3)
"Why must you compromise with a mere High God? Just because he is the Firstborn of the Great Brahman's Primordial Chaos? Great Vishnu," Brahma said with displeasure in his tone.
Vishnu had not only agreed to Brahne's (梵恩) three conditions, but even granted his final request.He lent the innate divine artifact, the Shankha (Sacred Conch), to the Earth Goddess Ximi for ten thousand years.
This meant that in this confrontation between Earth and Sky, Earth Goddess Ximi had only sustained a minor wound on her leg.Yet Sky God Dayus (达优斯) had lost an eye and was nailed to the Heavenly Gate for two Mahāyugas.
What humiliation was this?
Before he could even ascend the throne of King of the Gods, he was already reduced to posing as a prisoner at the Heavenly Gate for nearly ten million years.
Of course, this humiliation meant little to Brahma, the Great Creator God. What concerned him most was the black flood in the mortal realm.
That black flood originated from the Vessel of Life. Because Sky God Dayus lost control and let it slip, the Vessel of Life spilled forth, releasing the black flood into the human world.
This led to catastrophic devastation among living beings.
Such devastation creates karmic burden—cause-and-effect chains of sin.If left unresolved, the mortal realm would be reduced to ruins. Under the immense karmic weight, when the next Primordial Tribulation comes, Dayus would certainly perish.
But since the Vessel of Life had been bestowed by Brahma himself, even he had to bear a portion of that karmic backlash.
However, if the disaster of the black flood could be resolved, one could receive merit granted by the Supreme Spiritual Will, enough to counterbalance the karmic debt, perhaps even gaining excess merit.
Yet such vast merit had now been given by Vishnu to Earth Goddess Ximi. This left Brahma baffled.
Vishnu spoke calmly:"Dayus, God of the Sky, toppled the Vessel of Life, bringing upon the mortal realm an irreparable calamity. By the name of the Supreme Spiritual Will, I nail him to the Heavenly Gate for two Mahāyugas."
"Brahma, Creator God, you bestowed the Vessel of Life without sanction, indirectly causing the flood of the mortal world. By the name of the Supreme Spiritual Will, I condemn you to seclude yourself within Brahma's Realm for one Mahāyuga, to pray in repentance."
"By the weight of karmic debt, the first generation of God-Kings shall have their right to establish Heaven annulled. For the next Mahāyuga, the gods of Heaven may not step foot in the mortal realm."
Three punishments in succession left Brahma and the gathered gods staring in astonishment at Vishnu.
Were they not supposed to be the victims here?
Without giving them time to protest, Vishnu reclined upon the coils of the Primordial Serpent King Śeṣa and drifted into the void of Mingyang.
"Praise to the great Creator Brahma, please—"
Dayus, nailed to the Heavenly Gate, tried to sing praises to Brahma. But before he could finish, Brahma, with Goddess of Eloquence Sarasvati at his side, had already ridden his swan mount away.
That act of praise was meant to show his submission to Brahma. Yet at that moment, Brahma wanted nothing to do with the Sky God, who now bore such overwhelming karmic debt.
"Ahhh!"
"Despicable! Vile!"
Dayus roared, his face twisted with rage. Brahma's departure was the mark of his complete abandonment.
From now on, even if he remained a God-King, he would no longer receive Brahma's blessing—let alone those of Shiva or Vishnu.
How could the other gods see him now?
Glancing toward the ruined city of Gandharva, Dayus saw the gods whispering among themselves. In the end, all their gazes turned to him.
"Leave! All of you, begone! Do you also wish to profane your great King of the Gods?" Dayus bellowed.
The gods trembled inwardly, their eyes filled with disappointment, though none dared show it. After all, Dayus was still a Primordial Elemental Lord.
Sun God Saknas wanted to speak, but upon seeing Dayus in such a state, he could only sigh and depart. The rest of the gods followed suit.
Only one goddess remained. Beautiful, with a slender figure barely veiled in thin silk, her reddened eyes brimmed with worry.
"Do not be angry, my lord. Two Mahāyugas will pass quickly. I shall always protect you, my noble husband, my King of the Gods."
"Begone, you venomous woman who longs to see me humiliated!" Dayus cursed.
The goddess was his wife—Marici, the Mother of Heavenly Light.
She was a powerful High Lord Goddess, who wielded the authorities of Light, Invisibility, Disaster-dispelling, and Retribution.
"How can you speak thus to me? I am your wife, your noble husband!" Marici said, her voice full of grievance.
"You wanton, vile woman! I may be nailed to the Heavenly Gate, but I saw your eyes brimming with affection as you gazed at that lowly High God! Did you think I would not notice? Now begone!"
Dayus roared madly.
Gazed longingly at Brahne, the God of Consciousness?
Marici's heart skipped—she recalled the moment Brahne had defended Earth Goddess Ximi.
Indeed, Lord Brahne had been the first god to ever treat his woman as a true beloved. At that moment, not just she, but all the goddesses had turned their eyes toward Brahne.
But that was pure reverence, nothing tainted by desire or lust.
"You insult my loyalty, you have sullied our love. I hate you. I will make you pay for the words you spoke today, my impotent husband!"
Tears rolled down Marici's cheeks as she turned and left Gandharva City, returning to her own realm of Radiant Light.
"Cursed woman! How dare you call me impotent? Leave! All of you—leave!" Dayus howled…
A thousand mortal years later.
Mount Sumeru, Myozhen Palace.
The gods of the Earth lineage saw their great goddess Ximi return with the honored Brahne, followed by the Tree King Manlina. Their faces shone with joy.
Heaven's court had been abolished by Vishnu himself. God-King Dayus was nailed to the Heavenly Gate.
This meant that Earth's side had achieved an overwhelming victory.
"Praise to the great Earth Mistress Ximi! Praise to the honored Lord Brahne! Praise to the Goddess Tree-King Manlina!" the Earth gods prostrated.
"Rise, all of you," Brahne said with a wave of his hand.
Now he truly carried the dignity to stand tall before the High Gods. The Earth lineage gods, at this moment, offered him their wholehearted submission.
He had finally shed the reputation of a god who "lived off his wife."
After all, he had nearly slain Sky God Dayus—a Primordial Elemental Lord.And he had forced even mighty Vishnu to yield.
"With the Chakra of Vision here, the black flood will not reach Myozhen Palace. You should all guard the palace from outside," Brahne commanded.
Then he led Ximi and Manlina inside.
"The mortal world has become a boundless ocean, even the stars are submerged in the black flood. Should we not first cleanse it, my love?" Ximi asked, puzzled.
"Vishnu has lent us the Shankha for ten thousand years. Time is on our side. What matters most now is removing your scars. I cannot allow a blemish upon my beautiful Ximi's jade legs." Brahne smiled.
"But… forgive me, my noble husband. The corrosive power of the black flood is too great. My divine power cannot heal the scars," Ximi said weakly.
"Do not worry. Look—do you see what this is, my beloved Ximi?"
Brahne revealed the Lingam, marked with the imprint of the Supreme Fire Lingam Form