Chapter 193: Inner Sea Honor
The Mother Goddess of All Things trembled upon hearing this, her delicate body shaking fiercely.
She gently parted her lips, as if wanting to say something.
But in the end, she merely opened her lovely lips slightly before slowly closing them again.
On her stunningly beautiful face, deep helplessness was revealed, yet ultimately, she maintained silence.
Metis sighed inwardly, but also breathed a deep sigh of relief.
This was already the best outcome. Ten thousand years was a long time, but for gods with endless immortal lives, it was not much.
All the gods in the universe at this moment all lowered their noble heads together and responded in unison: “As you command, His Majesty the God King!”
Zeus said no more, instead turning his gaze to the low-key ancient Great God—Pontus—who had been quietly seated on his divine seat without a word.
He pondered for a moment before slowly saying: “Respected Abyssal Sea,”
Pontus, who appeared steady and calm on his divine seat, was actually trembling inwardly with fear long ago.
Upon hearing the God King’s call, he was immediately startled!
He even rose abruptly from his divine seat before Zeus could finish speaking.
He didn’t even have time to walk to the front of the divine palace; right there before his own divine seat, he bowed deeply from afar and responded: “Great God King His Majesty! Pontus awaits your orders here!”
Before Zeus could speak again, he didn’t even dare to straighten his divine body.
There were simply too many unclean matters on the body of his Inner Sea divine system!
His granddaughter, the peaceful River Nymph Eurylyia, along with Eurylyia’s daughter, Atlas’s lover Hesperis the Radiance of Sunset, and Hesperis’s three daughters—the goddesses of sunset, evening glow, and twilight.
These female relatives of the Menoetius family were still staying in his Inner Sea to this day!
They had never had the opportunity to receive Zeus’s forgiveness, and now, there was even less chance.
And that Campe who guarded the six giants under Cronus—after the war, her divinity had also been sent back.
Thanks to Mother Goddess Gaia newly shaping a divine body for her, now renamed Echidna, she was staying in the Inner Sea, not daring to go anywhere, fearing the God King would settle scores.（In truth, Echidna was mainly afraid of encountering Poseidon）.
Pontus himself had made no contributions whatsoever in the new sacred order. Before the God King, he truly had no qualification to speak of favors. With things turning out like this, Pontus was truly afraid!
Facing Pontus’s fear that he could barely conceal, the expression on Zeus’s face showed no change as he calmly said: “Abyssal Sea, please rise.”
“Your child—Thaumas—also once guided my path in the war of old days and established merits.”
“Today, I bestow upon him the honor he deserves.”
Hearing Zeus’s words, Pontus’s violently pounding heart finally calmed slightly.
As long as there was no settling of scores, it was good! Fortunately, he had firmly refused to let his children reunite with Menoetius!
Being with such a fool would sooner or later doom the entire family!
Not being implicated now already filled Pontus with great satisfaction, and in his heart, he felt immense conviction and gratitude toward Zeus.
The God King was truly great and merciful!
Thaumas, who had been standing behind him, immediately stepped out from behind his father upon hearing this, came to the front of the hall, respectfully knelt on one knee, lowered his head, and said in an extremely reverent tone: “Great God King His Majesty! Thaumas is here! Thank you for your bounty!”
Zeus spoke majestically: “Sea and Ocean, fertile and vast, beautiful and boundless. Within them lie infinite vitality and wonders, as well as endless mysteries and marvels.”
“From this moment on, you shall be the miracle manifest of all ‘seas’ and ‘oceans’! All miracles, phenomena, and mysterious occurrences in the ocean shall be under your control!”
Thaumas was filled with uncontainable ecstasy upon hearing this!
An Inner Sea god actually receiving such grand honor! He wouldn’t have dared to dream of it!
He immediately said loudly: “Great God King His Majesty! Thaumas thanks you for your sacred bounty! From this moment, your will shall be Thaumas’s direction forward!”
“Supreme God King His Majesty! Eternal and immortal!”
Meanwhile, Pontus, still bowed beside him, sighed inwardly.
This time, His Majesty the God King was truly angry.
He had even brought the gods of their Inner Sea system, who had always been marginalized, into handling the authority of “sea” and “ocean,” and even blurred the lines between inner and outer.
Although this granted their Inner Sea line supreme honor and was an excellent opportunity for them to integrate under the God King’s command.
But it inevitably meant offending the two major powers of “sea” and “ocean” at the same time.
And neither of these two sides was something his small Inner Sea could afford to offend!
Now, it seemed His Majesty the God King was still angry.
Yet the Ocean God was ultimately the family of the God King’s first wife; and the Sea King was the God King’s own younger brother! They ultimately had the same Mother Goddess mediating their relations.
But what was his own Inner Sea family?
In the future, if their relations eased, what would his Inner Sea line do?
Moreover, from now on, the inner and outer of the “sea” would no longer be distinguished.
For his Inner Sea line, this might not necessarily be a good thing.
Sigh.
Pontus sighed deeply in his heart, but he also clearly knew that his Inner Sea line had no qualification to refuse.
The Inner Sea had originally been a marginalized divine system. Now, the God King clearly intended to use them and elevate them.
If at such a time they did not firmly rally around His Majesty the God King, that would truly mean they had no intention of living in the universe.
Pontus sighed in his heart: Sigh, so be it. He could only go back and earnestly advise Thaumas to act with restraint, ensuring balance among the three parties.
Fortunately, relations between his Inner Sea and the Ocean had always been decent. The wife Thaumas married was also a Daughter of the Ocean. As long as he grasped the measure well, it shouldn’t lead to anything irreparable.
Meanwhile, Oceanus’s gaze was dim, his heart filled with sorrow.
But loyal and honest as he was, he had no objections whatsoever.
Having done wrong, one must accept punishment—this reason he understood well.
The Ocean God inwardly resolved that in the future, he would use absolutely impeccable actions to regain the God King’s forgiveness and trust!
However, he also had a trace of confusion in his heart: Why had His Majesty the God King punished the Sea along with the Ocean?
Moreover, that usually irritable and hot-tempered Sea King was so obedient today.
From beginning to end, he raised no objections or dissatisfaction?
This doubt simultaneously arose in the hearts of Oceanus and Pontus.
Could it be that the Sea King was also involved?
Oceanus’s thoughts raced; he had been away from the Ocean too long and didn’t know that Menoetius and Poseidon had grown quite close in recent years.
But he had already resolved to investigate this matter thoroughly upon returning!
As for the guilty and fearful Poseidon, he naturally dared not have any objections; he now wished more than anything that no god would notice him.
Losing this bit of authority was nothing compared to that terrifying Tartarus.
Moreover, he was secretly grateful in his heart: Since Zeus had only punished him in this subtle way, it meant he should be fine… right?
Zeus took in all the various expressions of the gods inside the hall, yet his face remained impassive.
Poseidon’s matter could wait until after the assembly dispersed.
Thinking it would pass so easily was wishful thinking!
He turned his gaze to Thaumas’s two daughters behind him, continuing his bestowal: “Thaumas, I have long heard that you have two lovely daughters. Now that the children have grown up, it is time for them to leave their parents’ side and forge their own glory.”
He gently beckoned to them from among the Inner Sea gods.
Iris and Alke, obediently waiting there, felt both extreme nervousness and extreme excitement.
They trotted into the divine palace and respectfully knelt on one knee: “Iris（Alke） pays respects to the Great God King His Majesty.”
Zeus smiled faintly: “Indeed, very lovely children.”
Iris was an extremely charming sunny maiden with white feathered wings.
She wore a bright white gauze skirt that displayed seven colors under the sunlight, brilliant and vibrant, extremely sunny and beautiful, with a pure and ethereal temperament, gentle and refreshing. Merely looking at her smiling face was enough to fill a god’s heart with joy.
Her sister Alke, on the other hand, was a cool maiden born with profound black feathered wings like the night sky.
She wore a water-blue gauze skirt, not as sunny and open as Iris, but strikingly beautiful at such a young age.
Her temperament was somewhat gloomy and bewitching, rather silent and reticent, appearing somewhat introverted.
“Iris, Alke. From this moment on, you shall be my exclusive envoys, the ‘divine messengers’ connecting the Three Realms and Three Domains on my behalf, delivering my commands and oracles, accurately conveying my will to the gods and all spirits.”
“Additionally, Iris, from this moment on, you shall be the Rainbow of the Sky Dome of Miracles. The goddess who brings beauty and hope to the world after storms.”
“Alke, from this moment on, you shall be the Goddess of Whirlwind Mist of Miracles. The goddess who displays the divine power of clouds and rain to the world amid storms.”
The joy in Thaumas’s heart could no longer be described by any words!
Even Pontus beside him finally felt his suspended heart completely settle.
His Majesty the God King truly intended to accept their Inner Sea line! Not merely as chess pieces!
Offending “sea” and “ocean”… so be it!
They had done wrong themselves and should bear the consequences!
How could the most loyal subordinate gods of His Majesty refuse His Majesty the God King’s bounty?!
That would be great disrespect!
