Lightning Is the Only Way

Joyce and Gravis looked at each other with uncomfortable expressions. They remained silent for a couple of seconds.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time, eliciting a look of surprise by the other.

"What are you sorry about?" Joyce asked in surprise. "You showed me a truth about the cultivation world. I should be the sorry one since I let my emotions guide my actions." Joyce was a little red in the face due to embarrassment. "I also didn't mean what I have said previously. Those words were uncalled for."

Gravis sighed. "Don't worry about it. I didn't take them to heart. Also, I should apologize for saying it that directly. I didn't take your cultivation path into account. After all, everyone's experiences are different."

"Hey, don't steal my line!" Manuel grumbled.

Gravis only smiled slightly. "Your wisdom is my wisdom now," he said with a smirk.

Manuel rolled his eyes, but inside, he was happy. He felt proud of himself. After all, not everyone was able to teach the Lightning Calamity something.

Joyce looked with confusion at both of them but then turned to Gravis again. "Anyways, I'm sorry for my words. I know that you only wanted to help me."

"Water under the bridge," Gravis said with a dismissive wave.

Joyce smiled happily, and, for some reason, Gravis also felt a bit happy when he saw her smile. Yet, he quickly caught himself. 'I might actually feel attracted to her,' he thought. 'This could become dangerous. If I get too close to her, I might have doubts about my future path. I don't know how I will act in such a situation. I can't take the risk into account that I might decide to not leave this lower world. I can't get too close to her.'

Joyce was quite confused about Gravis' involuntary changes in expression. For a second there, she could've sworn that Gravis showed a genuine smile, but it had quickly vanished. Now, he only looked troubled. 'I really don't get him,' she thought.

Manuel watched them while cultivating, and he could only muster a troubled smile. 'I think I know what's going on with Gravis. No matter what he chooses, he will lose,' Manuel thought. 'For once, I'm happy that I'm not him.'

Who didn't want to be a powerful genius? Just imagining the possibility to fight two Stages above oneself would elicit feelings of longing. Yet, everyone had their own problems, even powerful people like Gravis. Nearly no one had an easy life.

Like this, time passed.

couple of hours later, Manuel reached the tenth Stage of Energy Gathering and immediately broke into the Spirit Forming Realm.

Sect arrived. One of them was the person that went over to fetch the new person, while the other, obviously, was the new person. The new person quickly went over to Manuel and thanked him for this opportunity. If Manuel hadn't left the Wind Sect's group,

actions as more selfish than selfless, so

full day after that,

Brrr!

to the mountain started opening slowly, creating an uncomfortable sound of stones grating together. The groups all stood up and readied themselves.

Sect's absence, and only Joyce's group knew that no group from the Lightning Sect would come. After all, in order to not force Gravis to

the total number of groups didn't increase. That was because the groups from the Water, Light, and Darkness Sect had left. They decided against taking the risk of fighting Gravis. Even if they survived all the trials,

of two Sects took part in this year's resource war. One was the Wind Sect, while the other was the Fire Sect. The Fire Sect was comprised of battle-hungry maniacs, while the people from the Wind Sect were rather carefree. Whatever happened, happened. They wanted to

group after another charged

as she pointed forward with a long

little when he saw that. "That pose would look better if

and pouted. "Hey! Don't ruin

walked

forward and passed Manuel. Without a word, he entered the Heaven's Trial. The rest of the group quickly followed. A long, dimly lit corridor greeted them, and only some lit torches created some light. Without these, everything would be in total

and right. The construction of the corridor resembled the body of a snake

block my Spirit. On top of that, I can't see further than a kilometer with my Spirit. On a straight path, I could see further with just my eyes,' Gravis thought. 'Well, it

reached a small hall. Two braziers stood in the middle, illuminating the surroundings. The stones were brownish, and the design reminded people of an old temple or the ruin of one. Two

groups, and those gates are also weird," Manuel said with narrowed eyes. "This doesn't

said. "All groups are supposed to meet in a gigantic hall with a lot of gates. In the hall, most of the disciples would break into the next Realm before entering their respective trials. I can't possibly imagine that everyone

crooked. After the other groups entered, Heaven quickly changed the path just for us. The other groups are probably really confused about a sudden wall appearing behind them. If we went in first, the same thing would have happened, and if we entered in the

the numbers above the two gates meant, but he had a suspicion. "Let me guess. The numbers above the gates say how many people are allowed to

different paths available. It is also incredibly strange that we don't have an option to choose. We are forced to split up. This is so strange. Normally there would be hundreds of paths with all kinds

'1'. "This is where we part ways," Gravis said as he

taking this a little too casual? Something is seriously wrong