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In the Pontus Euxinus Sea, myriad hues of brilliance unfolded. Compared to the last ti Zeus had visited, this ancient palace of the Sea God had been rejuvenated.
The sea surface mirrored the colors of the sky, with colorful corals growing from the seabed, and fish of all hues swimming among them. Creatures with divine bloodlines multiplied and thrived, showcasing the extraordinary nature of this place with their mystical presence.
As all gods converged, thunderclouds and fierce winds rose and fell over the sea, flowers grew in mid-air, their petals falling and bringing waves of fragrance. In the ocean, imnse scallops opened their shells, revealing pearls that shined like stars.
All this had been prepared for the bridal couple, but when the Divine King stepped down from the golden carriage, it was no surprise to find that the sea nymph Thetis was not in her place as the bride.
’It seems she also knows that this wedding isn’t really for her, but she probably just thinks the main roles are and her father...’
With these thoughts flickering through his mind, Zeus entered the palace surrounded by a throng of nymphs.
He felt a bit of regret—the reason the Divine King knew of the prophecy regarding Thetis wasn’t due to a divine premonition that suddenly led him to consult it at Mount Nysa. In fact, he was first attracted to the beautiful sea nymph before seeking the guidance of fate.
As for the outco... obviously, she was another tis, so Zeus decisively abandoned her. Just as he had never approached Aphrodite, the Divine King perhaps didn’t care about issues of status, just as he never showed leniency towards his own granddaughter. But for so, he always kept his distance.
Within the vast Divine Palace, Zeus walked into the main hall, flanked by a throng of nymphs. The gods who had arrived earlier were rrymaking and drinking wine.
Seeing the Divine King enter the temple, all gods ca forward to pay their respects, and Zeus responded with a hearty laugh. He took his place on the golden throne prepared for him and spoke in low tones, sharing a joke with Hera beside him.
Compared to before, the Heavenly Empress’s complexion looked much better, and the collective wedding of the gods also lifted her spirits. Thus, Hera, quite out of character, took the initiative to pour Zeus a cup of wine, catching the Divine King by surprise.
Perhaps it was because he had too many illegitimate children over the years, but it had been a long ti since Hera had shown him good grace.
Ti trickled away second by second, until even Apollo, who was on duty, arrived, and almost all the deities willing to attend the feast were present.
The heavy temple doors slowly closed, making a loud noise. All gods realized the wedding was about to begin, and they turned their gaze towards the Divine King and Sea God Nereus, awaiting the opening speeches from both sides.
This wedding is surely not just a re wedding... just as Poseidon, who is currently looking at the high seat with a dark expression, intermittently glancing at his queen Amphitrite.
However, this sea nymph, also a daughter of Nereus, seed completely oblivious to what was happening. She was simply circulating among her forr sisters, showcasing her current life.
Among Nereus’s children, there was no True God, so Amphitrite held the highest status among them.
"Let’s begin, Hera. You are the guardian of marriage and should naturally preside over it."
Without rising, Zeus signaled to Hera amid the gaze of all gods.
"?"
Surprised, Hera too thought Zeus was about to say sothing first, but she only received an affirmative gaze from him.
The Divine King now was not planning to do anything, and his focus was not on this wedding. Compared to this, even a mortal world festivity was more worthy of his attention.
He was unsure if everything would go smoothly, thankfully Zeus was prepared for both eventualities.
"Very well."
Nodding in agreent, Hera slowly rose from her seat.
It wasn’t wrong for the Heavenly Empress to speak in place of the Divine King. She corrected her expression, speaking in a calm and confident tone.
"My lords and ladies,"
"Today, at the invitation of the King of All Gods..."
"..."
Squeak—
The tightly shut doors suddenly opened, interrupting Hera’s speech midway.
The gaze of all gods converged on the intruder, a sea nymph—one of Nereus’s lesser-known daughters. So of them were about to chide her, but in the next mont, they all fell silent.
Because everyone felt it, that familiar yet foreign essence of life.
······
Hurrying through the palace, Onyx carried a silver tray in her hands.
On the tray, a dazzling treasure sent out waves of resonance, just catching its aroma made Onyx feel the power within her surge and even grow slightly.
This was due to her own insignificant strength, but it was enough to demonstrate the power of this legendary divine object. In comparison, the other ’Golden Apple Tree’ that the Heavenly Empress Hera had grown from a branch seed like a poor imitation, even without tasting its fruits, Onyx could sense the vast difference between them.
But at this mont, her heart did not have a trace of joy upon seeing the divine object.
As a child of the Ancient Sea God, Thalassa, Nereus, and Oceanide Doris gave birth to fifty sea nymphs, collectively known as the Nereids Sisters. Although none of them were True Gods, still imrsed in the affairs of the Olympian Gods, they were not unfamiliar with it.
So just now, when the discordant Goddess Eris uninvitedly presented this Golden Apple before her, she felt excited, but upon seeing the black inscription on it, all joy turned into dread.
"To the Fairest."
This gift from Eris was ant as a celebration for the wedding host, so it should have been a gift for Onyx’s sister Thetis.
But without even thinking, Onyx didn’t feel her sister deserved the title of ’the Fairest Goddess.’
She tried to decline the heavy token, but Eris didn’t give her the chance. Now unless Onyx kept the Golden Apple for herself, she had to bring it inside.
```
"It’s impossible to stay... Compared to Thetis, I dare not claim myself as the most beautiful goddess."
Onyx bit her teeth, feeling the situation turning sowhat ominous.
If this were just an ordinary wedding banquet or if it were a ceremony held by her Oceanides family alone, receiving such a gift wouldn’t matter much, but now all the gods were here.
Her thoughts in turmoil, Onyx simply continued forward. At that mont, she even felt sowhat relieved that it was she who had received the gift.
Just as among mortals there would occasionally be kings and demigods whose thinking was sowhat abnormal, Onyx did not doubt that if so of the Sea Nymphs had received this gift, they might have claid it for themselves and could have truly believed themselves to be the most beautiful goddess.
Step, step, step—
Footsteps echoed in the corridor, with the grand doors right in front. Onyx took a deep breath and gently pushed open the heavy palace doors.
As a frictional noise sounded, the great doors slowly opened.
"...Here, I shall witness this sacred marriage, offering eternal blessings to both parties, wishing—"
The Heavenly Empress’s speech was interrupted by the opening of the doors, as hundreds of gazes converged on Onyx, bringing with them a pressure heavy as mountains.
For a mont, the Sea Nymph was at a loss for words until she saw the Divine King on the Golden Throne gesture with his hand, and then the imnse pressure suddenly dissipated.
"Daughter of Nereus, what brings you here to disrupt the wedding proceedings?"
Not far from the Divine King’s side, Zephyrus, the Leader of Wind Gods, spoke loudly, while Onyx imdiately held up the silver platter.
Under the scrutiny of all gods, the existence of the Golden Apple was so conspicuous and so dazzling.
"Your Highness, esteed guests, just now, Princess Eris from the Underworld has sent this gift."
Taking a step forward, Onyx placed the Golden Apple tray on the table, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from her.
"A gift has been sent… So where is she?"
A deity inquired, and Onyx explained truthfully.
"Princess Eris said she did not receive an invitation from the Divine King… So after leaving the gift, she has already departed."
There was an awkward silence in the room, even the Goddess of Hearthfire’s face flushed slightly. It was one thing not to invite a goddess, but Hestia indeed hadn’t thought to invite her brother from the Netherworld.
"Cough, cough, then leave the item here… Moanda, is this the Golden Apple you sent to Eris?"
With a light cough, Hestia noticed Onyx’s nervousness and signaled that she could leave. She casually changed the subject, yet the Goddess of Life denied ever leaving a Golden Apple for a deity of the Underworld.
"Perhaps it was sothing Mother Earth once gave to the two younger siblings of hers, though it was never acknowledged. It is said, however, that those True Gods born in the Netherworld do indeed have so connection with the two Primordial Gods."
So deity speculated, and this idea was quickly recognized. However, in the midst of talking, Hestia suddenly noticed that the Sea Nymph had not yet left the place.
"Do you have sothing else?" she asked, and in the next mont, Hestia regretted it.
Because under the gaze of the gods, Onyx hesitated for a mont, but still stepped forward and rotated the tray.
The other side of the Golden Apple was then revealed to the eyes of all gods... accompanied by that line of writing.
"[To the most beautiful goddess]"
For a mont, silence fell over the room, and Onyx quietly slipped out of the palace, but by now, no one cared about her departure.
A single Golden Apple doesn’t an much, and an inscribed Golden Apple also can’t prove anything. If it appeared elsewhere, at so other ti, or in the presence of just a few deities, it would just be an ordinary apple.
Even if it were a treasure that a goddess made for herself, it could even beco a laughingstock. What determines the value of a trophy is not the trophy itself but its audience, and unfortunately, this wedding had gathered almost all the significant ’audience’ from the Chaos World outside the Primordial Gods.
Getting the Golden Apple inscribed with "[To the most beautiful goddess]" doesn’t prove one’s beauty. But by receiving it in the presence of nearly all the deities of Chaos, that concept could indeed beco truth.
The Primordial Titans knew that, in ancient tis, the Lord of the Spirit Realm had once gained "Chronology" in this way, and the current deities also knew how Zephyrus, as a western God, gradually beca the Leader of Wind Gods by taking over so of the powers left in the world by the God of teorology.
For won, what truly constituted ’beauty’—character, marriage, strength, wisdom, appearance, or talent—had never been conclusively defined before. But when the Chaotic Gods together selected a winner, the authority she represented could truly serve as an interpretation of ’beauty.’
Even extending from this... if one could gather other deities associated with ’beauty’ to one’s side, wouldn’t it be possible to have the power to break the limits of a True God, like the complete ocean, or the current Divine King?
No one knew, it was all speculation; after all, even if one acquired the definition of ’beauty,’ it didn’t an one could subdue other goddesses. But no matter what, it was a possibility, and with the endless lives of the deities, even the tiniest possibility had a chance of actualization.
Bang—!
Hestia was the first to act, but not to seize the Golden Apple, but to destroy it.
She had foreseen sothing, but she didn’t want it to happen. Yet under her flas, the Golden Apple was not hard at all and shone even more brightly in the fire.
"Tsk, interesting."
"Extinguish!"
With a light cry, the girl in the red dress suddenly turned, and a blue figure appeared behind her. At her command, Hestia’s flas were imdiately extinguished.
Hecate ignored the concerned look of the Moon Goddess beside her, her gaze playfully scanning the deities present, especially lingering on Aphrodite and Hera for a mont.
"Don’t be in such a hurry to cover your tracks... The most beautiful goddess, tsk tsk, does anyone want to claim it?"
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