Lightning Is the Only Way

Gravis entered the room and saw his mother directly standing in front of the door with a smile. She wore a comfortable white robe that gave her a graceful aura. Her white hair swayed in a nonexistent ethereal breeze. It was almost like her hair was underwater.

"Welcome back, Gravis," she said as she directly hugged him.

Gravis wasn't surprised that she already knew that he was back. After all, the Opposer's wife also had to be powerful. Gravis quickly returned the hug, and he felt some warmth coursing inside of him. He had always been pretty close to his mother. Sadly, she wasn't involved much in his cultivation.

"I'm home, mom," Gravis said. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she said softly as she embraced him. A mother's love was generally more direct than a father's love, and Gravis was really happy about that. The only people he could get close to without having to worry about Heaven were his mother and father.

Joyce, Skye, and all his other friends could die at any moment. None of them were safe. Even if Heaven wanted to increase their power to use them against him in the future, it only increased their Karmic Luck. Even with Karmic Luck, people could still die. After all, every person that Gravis had ever killed had more Karmic Luck than him.

Yet, that didn't hold true for his father and mother. His mother was powerful and was also protected by his father. As long as the highest Heaven didn't manage to kill his father, his mother would also be safe, and if his father died, Gravis would probably also die very quickly. Without his father, there wouldn't be anyone to stop the highest Heaven from just directly annihilating him.

Because of this, he could forget all his worries as he hugged his mother. The fear of the emotional backlash when someone died wasn't there when he was with his parents. Like this, he could ultimately lower his emotional guard.

Though controlling one's emotions was hard. Even though he hugged his mother, he only felt some warmth course through him. Before he had left for the lower world, he had felt happy by her side. Sadly, this feeling of warmth had reduced, even though Gravis didn't want that.

Gravis felt a little guilty when his emotional response to his mother wasn't as strong as it used to be. It almost felt like his love for her had lessened. This caused him some distress.

"You're a man now, Gravis," his mother said.

Gravis slightly nodded. "Mhm," he hummed.

"Look at you," she said in happiness as she broke the hug to look at him. "Your hair color and eyes have changed. You also have a more manly and adult aura now."

She pinched Gravis' cheeks. "The girls must be going crazy for you," she said with a smirk and moved a hand through her hair. "Girls like exotic hair colors."

"Mom," Gravis said with indignance and some embarrassment. "I don't want to start a relationship yet."

His mother raised an eyebrow but still smiled. "Why not?"

chance is too high that my significant

"So?" she asked.

in confusion. "What do you mean with so?

head with a smile. "We all die. At some point, your father and I will also die. Shutting yourself away from the feeling of love just because you fear their eventual death is nonsense. What of all the mortals?

sigh. "It's different for

she said back, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Mortals have an even more fragile life than cultivators. Bandits, wild beasts, disease, cultivators, wars, battle, famine, and many other things can kill them or their

I'm not required to have a child,"

chin with her slender and long fingers. "That's true," she said, "but people don't get into relationships because they need to make children. They do it because they love each

released a shaky sigh. "And what do I get out of

to her bed to sit down. Then, she patted her

his mother got a little too

said with a pout. "You were

when I was like ten. I'm 22

mother shook her

Whoop!

In no time, he saw himself laying on his back, his head on his mother's lap. Gravis

no one's watching. You don't need to act all tough and prideful in front of me. I'm your mother, and if you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for me, okay?" she

let his

be clean?" she said

wasn't sure what she was talking

in your hair,

thought back as his mother was fixing his hair.

his mother snorted, "no wonder it's this messy! I'm going to fix

point of that? Looking good doesn't really help me in

look good. It has something to do with self-confidence and having self-respect. After all, it's your body, and it's a part of you. You might pride yourself in your smarts and your

and will help me in cultivation. Looking good doesn't help," Gravis

the goal of your cultivation?" she asked, still fixing his hair. She snipped off a lot of hair with her fingernails. A scissor or blade wasn't necessary. As someone

freedom," Gravis answered. After putting away his embarrassment, he started to feel way calmer. There was something inside of him that radiated a calm energy, like the gentle waves of