Lightning Is the Only Way

"You took the same path as me?" Gravis asked.

Orpheus nodded. "Yes! Just like you, I decided to become free from constraints and decide my own destiny. I also joined as a research assistant. I went through the lower, middle, and high worlds and continued cultivating here." Orpheus sighed as he thought of his past. "But I found the love of my life in this world and finally created my own family. I went out less and less and just wanted to be with my family more. Over the years, my drive for strength weakened, and now, I am content with living happily with my family."

Gravis thought a lot about what he just heard. This could be him in the future. Maybe, he would also find a family and settle down at some point. Was it really necessary to struggle through so many dangers just to get stronger? Just enough strength that not everyone could kill you also seemed enough. But when Gravis thought about what Heaven did to him, his expression changed, and he gritted his teeth. While living under Heaven, he could never be completely safe. He also didn't want to depend on the security his father provided for the rest of his life.

Orpheus watched as Gravis' expression changed multiple times and waited. He wanted to know what Gravis' genuine desire was. After a while, Gravis looked up at Orpheus. "Why did you stop cultivating?" he asked.

"Because, in order to increase my strength further, I have to struggle for resources with my life on the line. Even if I manage to get all the resources I need and never get injured, I would never reach father's level. For me, it is absolutely impossible to reach his level. So, there is not much difference between my current realm and the highest realm, outside of father's. I also don't want to think about leaving my family behind, if I die," Orpheus narrated calmly. There was no flicker of emotion. His heart had settled and fully supported his decision.

Gravis lifted an eyebrow. "Why do you say that you can never reach father's level?"

Orpheus frowned for the first time since the conversation started. "Gravis, those are things I can't talk about." Orpheus looked at Gravis somberly. "If I told you, Heaven would not allow you to continue cultivating. You must know, Heaven is antagonistic to our family. Did you think that your run-in with the 'newbie crusher' was a coincidence?"

of tone. "What do you mean? Forneus said the

no one can influence their own luck. That is why it is called luck. Every living being has a certain amount of karmic

run-down shop. They may also arrive in a clearing with an unimaginable treasure, while opponents fight each other to the death, and the person just has to take the reward. Opportunities bestowed by

since we are the only living beings under Heaven with no karmic luck, we have the worst luck. The fact that the order of your challenges in the practical test was the worst is

having average

blandly. "That's wrong. The average is not having no luck, but having average luck. Even people with average luck still have some luck. That's why it's average. An average outcome requires an average amount of luck. You might think that the best luck is a 10, average luck is a 0, and worst luck is a –10,

about the tortoise? I survived its first hit

have looked like luck, but your weak will saved you. Your weakness saved you, not your

to fight the newbie crusher first, and immediately got an environmental challenge after that. The first opponent is the hardest to defeat. After

challenge, where you have no time to rest. After that, you fight a mountain lion: an enemy that is fast enough to match you and strong enough to actually kill you. If it weren't for our family's innately high

widened. "You know what happened to me in the water and

regarding communication with the elements. Our father is, of course, no exception. High synchronicity with the elements will be extremely important later down in your cultivation journey, but that's still far off. Not even I have reached that realm.