Lightning Is the Only Way

Gravis had regained his calm by now. "You know what?" Gravis asked. "You're right."

Joyce was taken aback by the sudden surrender. Wasn't Gravis supposed to defend his point some more?

Gravis looked away and started scratching his chin in thought. "Though, not completely. I have to concede that you are right in the sense that my distant coldness is a choice, but that hasn't always been the case. Before I reached the Spirit Forming Realm, my coldness wasn't a choice but a necessity. Yet, you are right that it is wrong when I say that I have no control over my coldness in my current situation."

Joyce furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

Gravis turned back to her. "Do you remember how I told you that it was important that you gave me the Formation Array in an equal trade?"

Joyce nodded.

"That was because Heaven is my enemy, and it tried to force me into isolation. It killed everyone I came close to. In comparison to your way of tempering, this wasn't something like a chance of dying or tempering. In my case, it was a definite death sentence."

Joyce looked with skepticism at Gravis. "Quite a bold claim, but how are you still alive if Heaven was your enemy? After all, it could just strike you down."

Gravis sighed because he knew that this would take a while to explain. "I'm not from this world."

Joyce's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

After that, Gravis told Joyce about how he came from a higher world and that his father had a huge enmity with Heaven. This had implicated him, and the Heaven of this lower world had tried everything to kill him or stop him from cultivating. He didn't describe the concept of Karmic Luck and only said that Heaven would kill everyone he came close to. After all, that wasn't a lie. He also told her that it was his father that stopped Heaven from directly annihilating him.

have a choice but to become cruel and cold. If anyone liked me and decided to help me, it would just end with their death on Heaven's hand. Something like this isn't tempering. My only chance was to make others hate me,"

brat was wrong, and now Gravis showed her that his situation also wasn't

been an active choice from my part until I realized that nothing happened to Lasar or Old Man Lightning. I only realized the reason why nothing had happened

sigh. "I'm sorry for judging you

smiled for the first time since entering the room. "The same holds true for me. I shouldn't have assumed that your life has been easy." Then, Gravis looked out of the window.

Joyce asked unamused.

again. "As soon as someone gives up on their cultivation path, they will never become stronger. In comparison to the higher worlds, every single person in this lower world could be considered weak. Yet, every person has the potential to become truly powerful as long as they continue on their way. But the people who have already given up will never get this

the end, you only care about strength," Joyce commented

freedom. This is my ultimate goal. I want to become so powerful that no one can hurt my close ones or me ever again.

the first time, Joyce also smiled a little. "So, in the end, your goal of freedom is not only for yourself but

Gravis said. "But until then, I can't build too many relationships or

frowned. "But you agreed that your coldness is a choice. Why do

furrow her brows. "If I build too many connections, Heaven might use all of them to force me to stop cultivating. Imagine the scenario where Heaven tells you that you need to stop cultivating, or it will kill everyone in your

insides shook. She had never thought about such a scenario because such a scenario was simply too cruel to be real. Who would do

a shaky breath. "I think I would stop cultivating,"

know how I would choose in that situation, because I've not been in such a situation

homeworld," Joyce said. "The chances of that happening are infinitely close to zero. Why go through so much

is the peak, and my goal is more important than everything else," Gravis said with resolution. "That is my current

I have killed a close friend and mentor of mine about two and a half years ago. This has weighed heavily upon my mind, and the guilt had manifested in regret. But I have learned to accept the world as it is, and I can say with

The faces of my dead companions still haunt me, and there is not even a second where I don't feel pain