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.

was currently sitting on a beautiful

a frown.

right, sorry," Mortis quickly said as

was now his own

no longer hinged

the Opposer and Orthar had gotten over

Stella, while Mortis had

the sunset together with Azure to commemorate their

finally never had

memories had returned to Mortis, he felt

had dreamed of in

his future since he and Azure would spend their time together from

on the cliff, just staying by each other's side. None of the two of them spoke

about. As soon as she could complain about something, she

Azure simply enjoyed being in

Eternal Fire Sect since they wouldn't cultivate anymore. Staying in the Cultivation world would only invite

the entire world, and they

past, Mortis hadn't been interested in weaker beings, but as soon as he had decided to stop cultivating, he had become interested

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

that, Mortis started to think

have some children," Azure said at

had realized that all these thoughts about simple and

"Yes, let's," Mortis answered.

but these new children

had had no emotional attachments to her children back then, but things

their first batch of children, and they watched them from a distance. Since Azure was a beast and Mortis

and Mortis

time, the kids didn't feel any kind of

Mortis were

to be there for

and they didn't mind

also been like that in the past,

enough, while some of them had died, others

to Azure and

was time for the two of them to

it happened, Mortis felt

three million as an Ancestral

have a long life ahead

point, it will

time together with their family, and eventually, it was time to become Divine

million years of my total life have passed, and ten

'I'm still young.'

passed,

as the years passed and death came closer, Mortis felt more and more

for so long, and only

Death was coming closer.

Mortis and Azure only embraced each

want

to

However, they couldn't.

experiencing a limited time of happiness, they would always look towards the end. School holidays

started, people already looked towards the end,

time dragged on, they would keep in mind how

end drew closer, the person

Mortis wasn't ready yet.