Lightning Is the Only Way

Gravis wasn't sure how he should feel. He had just realized that the children he had fathered and loved for millions of years had actually never existed.

Yet, on the other hand, it only felt natural not to have strong emotional attachments to things that weren't real.

It was just like a long dream.

"How was it?" Mortis asked from the side.

Gravis looked at Mortis with a bitter smile. "Just like you would think. However, I really don't feel much attachment to the things I have experienced and the people I have met. It really feels like a dream."

Mortis took a deep breath.

He knew that Gravis' personality was very stable, and he knew that Gravis wouldn't feel any issues.

However, what about Mortis?

Would he react this calmly?

"Now, it's your turn," Orthar said to Mortis. "Are you ready?"

Mortis took another deep breath and nodded.

Orthar nodded and extended his hand towards Mortis.

And then, Mortis' eyes became vacant.

Gravis looked at Mortis with interest.

"I thought this was instantaneous," Gravis said.

"I can only make time move so fast," Orthar explained. "Samsara doesn't need to invent things. All the perceived realities are already there, and it only has to replay them. That's why Samsara is instantaneous."

"In comparison, I have to continually manage the perceived reality Mortis is currently experiencing. I can only make it move so fast without endangering the management of the actual Cosmos," Orthar explained.

"Huh, so even you can't do anything," Gravis added with a smirk.

"Of course not," Orthar said. "I'm not some omnipotent being. I'm a Cultivator, just like you and everyone else. The only difference is that you can create life via procreation, while I can create a Cosmos. It's not very different. It's only on a grander scale."

"Okay, so how long will Mortis take?" Gravis asked.

"About five years. That's how long it took you."

"Five years? That's pretty fast," Gravis answered.

Orthar didn't answer for several seconds.

"What did you feel during the end of your perceived reality?" Orthar suddenly asked.

"Tons of regret," Gravis answered immediately. "However, that's only natural. I want to cultivate anyway, and I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't truly be happy if things turned out this way."

"Sure, living a fulfilling life with all my friends and family is great, but it's simply too short. I want to cultivate, but when I have been in the perceived reality, it was like I've simply accepted that I wouldn't cultivate anymore."

"Now that I'm awake, it feels so stupid. Why wouldn't I just continue cultivating? That would've solved all my regrets," Gravis said. "In a sense, I feel like I've never had the chance to do what I wanted, which makes the entire dream feel surreal. It's like someone else has lived my life."

Orthar nodded. "That's a good response. Someone with strong convictions won't feel attached to the dream since it forces you into doing something you don't truly want to do. That's also why the dream has basically no effect on you."

"What about Mortis?" Gravis asked.

Orthar only looked at Mortis.

"Huh?" Mortis said in confusion as he opened his eyes.

currently sitting on a beautiful

attention?" Azure asked with a frown. "You

quickly said as his

was now his

survival no longer hinged on

Orthar had gotten

cultivating with Stella,

watch the sunset together with

finally never had

returned to Mortis, he felt a

dreamed of in the past had

since he and Azure would spend their

the two of them spoke

long as Azure didn't have something to complain about. As

Azure simply enjoyed being in

didn't want to stay in Eternal Fire Sect since they wouldn't cultivate anymore. Staying in the Cultivation world would

and they looked

soon as he had decided to stop cultivating,

was so interesting how the instincts of young and weak animals and beasts worked. It

Mortis started to think of them

some children," Azure said at

realized that all these thoughts about simple and weak beings had been a manifestation of

"Yes, let's," Mortis answered.

new children would be completely different from the old

her children

Azure was a

Azure and Mortis looked at their

like the last time, the kids didn't feel any kind of

Azure and Mortis

to be there for

selfless feeling, and they didn't mind that their children

had also been like that in the past, and

sure enough, while some of them had died, others managed to become

Star Gods apologized to Azure and Mortis for their previous conduct, and Azure and Mortis accepted their

day, it was time for the two of them to

happened, Mortis felt a

have 13 million years in total left, three million as an Ancestral God,

long

point, it

together with their family,

years of my total life have passed,

'I'm still young.'

time passed,

and death came

lived for so long, and only this little bit of

Death was coming closer.

Mortis and Azure

didn't want to

wanted to stay

However, they couldn't.

limited time of happiness, they would always look towards the end. School holidays and vacations were

just started, people already looked towards the end, knowing that

dragged on, they would keep in mind how long they

the end drew closer, the

Mortis wasn't ready yet.