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

with a frown. "You said you

right, sorry," Mortis quickly said as

now his own

survival no longer

Orthar

with Stella, while Mortis had decided

sunset together with Azure to commemorate

had to be apart

to Mortis, he

dreamed of in the past had finally become a

he and

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

as Azure didn't have something to complain about.

simply enjoyed being in each other's

to stay in Eternal Fire Sect since they wouldn't cultivate anymore. Staying in the Cultivation world would only invite danger, and the

world, and they looked at all the different

soon as he had decided to stop cultivating, he had become interested in

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

top of that, Mortis started to think of

children," Azure said at

these thoughts about simple and weak beings had been a manifestation of his desire to have

"Yes, let's," Mortis answered.

but these new

her

them from a distance. Since Azure was a beast and Mortis counted as half

time, Azure and Mortis looked at

the kids didn't feel any kind of familial

Mortis

to

didn't mind that their children basically

in the past,

had died, others managed to become Star

Gods apologized to Azure and Mortis for

was time for the two of them to become

happened, Mortis felt a bit

million as an Ancestral God, and ten million as

long life

one point, it

family, and eventually, it was time to become Divine

life have passed, and ten

'I'm still young.'

passed, Mortis felt

passed and death came closer, Mortis felt more and more

time left. I've already lived for so long, and only

Death was coming closer.

Mortis and Azure

want

wanted to

However, they couldn't.

happiness, they would always look towards the end. School holidays

looked towards the end,

they would keep in

closer, the person would

Mortis wasn't ready yet.