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

with a

right, sorry," Mortis quickly said as his memories

now

longer hinged

the Opposer and Orthar had

had decided to continue cultivating with Stella, while Mortis had

had planned to watch the sunset together with

finally never had to be apart

had returned to Mortis,

had dreamed of in

future since he

each other's side. None of the two of

didn't have something to complain about. As soon

and Azure simply enjoyed being in each

two of them moved to Opposer City. They didn't want to stay in Eternal Fire Sect since they wouldn't cultivate anymore. Staying in the Cultivation world would only invite

the entire world, and they looked at all the different things in

been interested in weaker beings, but as soon

was so interesting how the instincts of young and

of that, Mortis started to think of them as

have some children," Azure said at

and weak beings had been a manifestation of his

"Yes, let's," Mortis answered.

new children would be completely different from the old

no emotional attachments to her children back

their first batch of children, and they watched them from a distance. Since Azure was a beast and Mortis counted as half a beast, the children were born with beast bodies, just like Gravis' previous

and Mortis looked at their children

them, and just like the last time, the kids didn't feel any

Mortis were used

only had to be there for

and they didn't mind that their

like that in the past,

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

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

for the two of them to become Ancestral

Mortis felt a bit

left, three million as an Ancestral God, and ten million as a Divine God,' Mortis

have a long life ahead

at one point, it

spent their time together with their family,

of my total life have passed, and ten million

'I'm still young.'

time passed, Mortis felt

the years passed and death came

only have so much time left. I've already lived for so long, and only this little bit of time

Death was coming closer.

last couple of years, Mortis and Azure only embraced

want to

wanted to stay

However, they couldn't.

they would always look towards the end. School

people already looked towards the end, knowing that it would

dragged on, they would keep

the end drew closer, the person would feel

Mortis wasn't ready yet.