Lightning Is the Only Way

"Glad to see you again, Gravis. I always knew that you would get through this," Manuel said with a smile when he saw Gravis.

"Glad to see you're doing well, Manuel," Gravis said with a smile. "So, how does it feel?"

"How does what feel?" Manuel asked.

"Being at the top of the world," Gravis answered.

Manuel looked into the distance with a complex expression. "It doesn't feel much different from normal. I think that's mainly because I haven't truly been in this state for long enough. I still feel like I need to become more powerful, and I still feel like I have to increase the power of the Heavenly Divine Sect even more."

"In the past, I always knew that there was an even higher world waiting for me. Because of that, I never truly felt like I was at the peak. But now, there is no higher world. I am in the highest world, and no new world is waiting for me."

"I'm just here, and I basically have no enemies left, at least not until more Peak Divine Gods appear in the world."

"It's weird. It's like something I have been doing for my entire life suddenly vanished."

"In a way, I feel a bit aimless," Manuel explained.

"What's your goal?" Gravis asked.

"A couple million years ago, I would have said that I wanted to become a Heaven's Magnate, but I'm not so sure if I will ever reach that."

"Why are you so certain?" Gravis asked.

Manuel only smiled bitterly. "Gravis, you know that I am a person with a great affinity for control. Logically, I would also want to learn about that one elusive Law I still needed. So, yes, I know about the Law of Freedom, even though you all told me several times that it's a bad idea to look into it."

Gravis also smiled bitterly. "You couldn't help yourself, huh?"

"No, I couldn't," Manuel said with a sigh. "I still don't get the Law of Freedom. Freedom is making your own choices, right? I have the freedom to make any choice I want. I know all the necessary information, and I can choose whatever choice I want."

"So, how is it possible that I can't comprehend freedom? In my perception, I'm about as free as I can be right now."

"Are you?" Gravis asked.

Manuel looked at Gravis with a skeptical expression. "Everyone that's more powerful than me is not interested in going against me. Therefore, I can do whatever I want."

"What about yourself?" Gravis asked.

"Myself?" Manuel asked with confusion.

"Can you do whatever you want? Are you comfortable with every decision you've ever made?" Gravis asked.

with a chuckle. "In life, we often have to make decisions we don't like. Otherwise, we can't achieve our goal.

can't do whatever you want,"

adamant about splitting hairs, yes, I can't always do what

you're not free," Gravis

I don't want to do. You can be selfish and do whatever you want, but at that point, nobody will follow you, and those few people that are still

just

"Why not?" Gravis asked.

Gravis," Manuel said with a flat

when he

perfect as it could be. He treated everyone around him with genuine care, and he never shied away from responsibility. He always acted in a way that

himself, and he always gave everything to his

with all their heart and soul. They fully trusted

these things

the

also the perfect

was essentially perfect

exactly that was the

was too smart

make the perfect decision, and his decisions were always perfectly supported by everyone

comprehending the Law of Freedom required stupidity, selfishness,

have these

tell Manuel exactly how to comprehend the Law, there would even be a high chance that Manuel would actively go

that to comprehend the Law of Freedom, then I don't want the Law

would be what

actually ironic in a

world, the Cultivators were affected by the temperaments of their Elements. Wind always desired freedom, and Manuel

had been his

unable

that was because Manuel's definition of freedom was off from the Cosmos' definition. In Manuel's mind, freedom meant freedom of choice, but the Cosmos said freedom was doing what

a subtle difference that almost bordered on

had achieved his

he didn't achieve the Cosmos' goal of

Manuel would never comprehend the

Opposer or Orthar, Manuel wouldn't be able to

Manuel had managed to reach the very top of the world. He would soon become a level nine Divine God, and he had no enmity with

come to an end, just like Meadow's and

three of them would stop at

dropped the subject, and the two of