Lightning Is the Only Way

For a moment, both of them only looked at the other in shock and respect. Both of them couldn't believe that the other one knew so many Laws.

Yet, the most shocked person was Stella's brother. 'He's able to keep up with sis!' he thought with shock. 'Sis has already used so many Laws, but he manages to counter them every time. This guy is a freak!'

'This is definitely not normal! I need to be ready for any surprise. Sorry, sis, but even if you hate me, I won't let you die!'

CRK!

Stella's brother silently broke an emblem in his Spirit Space.

None of the two had noticed this action as they fully concentrated on their opponent.

'Do I need to use my Weapon Laws?' Stella asked herself. 'He counters every kind of conventional attack. I believed that I would be able to win without using my Weapon Laws, but he is able to resist all attacks. I can't attack his Spirit, and I'm sure that he keeps some secret weapon hidden away. He knows that he will lose in a direct confrontation, which means that he is probably planning to take me out in a single strike.'

'If I'm not careful, I will die before I can even unleash my full power,' she thought with a sigh. 'To hell with self-respect. I'd rather be careful than endanger my life because of my own pride.'

BRRRRR!

Stella's saber started to burn intensely with the inferno element. She couldn't risk dying to some sort of surprise attack.

Gravis gritted his teeth. 'I wanted to kill her with two Lightning Crescents at our next clash, but she has already unleashed her Weapon Laws. This fight will become ugly now.'

"You are truly powerful, Gravis," Stella said. "I'll give you one more chance. I'm willing to stop the fight since I don't want such a talented youngster like you to die."

"Youngster?" Gravis asked with a sneer. "I'm already 4,000 years old. I'm not a youngster."

"Yes, you are," Stella said. 

Gravis was a bit surprised since everyone he had met before had told him that he was far too old for a Minor Circulation Immortal. 

"Do you think 4,000 years is anything in the vast world? In this area, maybe, but outside of this area, the Cultivators are not as impatient as the ones here. I'm already 95,000 years old and already went through my first tribulation. In comparison to me, you are only a child."

'95,000 years!?' Gravis thought in shock. 'No wonder she knows so many Laws. However, why is she here then? Her second tribulation is coming soon, but she doesn't appear worried at all. The second tribulation should pit her against an opponent two levels above her. Does that mean that she can jump two levels?'

'I've seen her power, and she can definitely jump one level, but two levels? I'm not sure if she can manage that unless…'

'She hasn't shown her entire strength yet,' Gravis thought.

SHING! SHING! SHING!

Stella slashed into the air several times, leaving behind streaks of fire that stayed in the air. "Let's see if you can resist the Seething Inferno Sect's main technique!"

"This is called the Burning Sky Slash," she said. "Show me that you are even more powerful! I hope you haven't already shown everything you have!"

A complex pattern of fire streaks appeared in the sky as Gravis simply watched.

'This technique is powerful,' he thought. 'Even while creating the technique, I can't get close to her. I feel like she can weave and manipulate this technique however she wants. If I attack now, she can unleash this attack from close range, incinerating me in an instant.'

'Interesting. So, there is a way to create and use a technique with a long wind-up that stops the enemy from interrupting you. Weapon Cultivation sure is different.'

'However, I can also feel that it's difficult to control that technique. If she tries to move closer, the technique will break apart. This means that she has to stay in this spot. This gives me some time to evade.'

"Don't die!" Stella shouted as she released one last slash.

BRRRRRRR!

The pattern of fire lines shot at Gravis.

CRACK!

Space around Gravis cracked, making it impossible for him to teleport. 

The fire lines shot at Gravis with incredible speed.

BANG!

Gravis exploded to the left with his Lightning Acceleration.

SSSSHHH!

Yet, everything broke apart as Gravis felt his Punishment Lightning being destroyed. 

'She knows the Composition Law of Punishment Lightning!' Gravis thought in shock. 

WHOOOOOOOM!

Gravis' charge had been halted, and on top of that, gravity suddenly started to intensify. 

'She even knows the Law of Gravity!' he thought before he used his own Law of Gravity to counter her Law of Gravity.

'Sure enough, he knows even more Laws,' Stella thought with a bright light in her eyes.

Immortals were able to make decisions and think in an incredibly brief period of time. The attack was shooting at Gravis with insane speed, but Gravis' mind had already come up with several plans that had all been countered.

'Evasion is impossible!' Gravis thought with terror. 'My momentum has been halted, and I have no other choice but to receive the attack. Fuck!'

'I have two ways to block this attack, but both of them would require me to show things that will motivate others to kill me. One of them is transforming into lightning to move between the open spots of the lines of fire. Several Immortal Kings are watching, and if they see this, they will come after me.'

'The other is to summon a ton of my remaining Initial Early Circulation Immortal Rank Materials to block the attack. This would weaken the attack enough to allow me to block it, but that's millions of Immortal Stones of materials. This is nearly enough to create an Initial Minor Circulation Immortal King. This will throw up a lot of questions.'

'Am I willing to risk it? What should I do? Take a safe solution with potential future danger or confront the danger right now?' Gravis thought in panic. His mind was moving with incredible speed as time seemingly stopped for him.

'Fuck it! If I can't even resist a Major Circulation Immortal, how am I going to resist Immortal Kings? I need to confront this attack right now!' Gravis thought.

Then, Gravis shot at the pattern of fire lines. 

Stella looked with shining eyes at Gravis. 'Show me what you got!' she thought.

Gravis closed in on the attack as his mind was going wild. 

First, he unleashed his Composition Law of Inferno to weaken the attack. 

Then, he unleashed his Law of Major Control to shake the attack and make it harder for it to stay in one piece. This made the fire lines warp slightly. 

'The attack is still too powerful. If I block it, I will die!' Gravis thought. 'However, the fire lines are morphing faster than lightning and without a pattern. I can't move through them without relying on my luck.'

'I have to try it!' Gravis thought as he came up with a new plan.

Gravis' feelings were assaulted with a mixture of danger and safety. His new Law of Safety and his Law of Danger worked in tandem to find the safest path. 

Basically everyone at this level knew the Law of Danger, which meant that it was impossible to rely on the Law of Danger. Additionally, since Stella was an entire Circulation above Gravis, it meant that Gravis' Law of Danger was useless.

That was why he also activated the antithesis to the Law of Danger, the Law of Safety. By feeling the absence of safety, Gravis was able to elevate the usage of his Law of Danger. 

BOOOOOM!

At this moment, Gravis' Law of Danger broke through and became a level three Law. However, the only thing this accomplished was to highlight the danger more clearly. Sadly, it wasn't of much use in this situation.

WHOOOM!

Gravis unleashed the Law of Time and infused it with a ton of Energy. The attack's time was slowed to half its speed, while Gravis' time was accelerated to double its speed.

Stella's eyes widened in shock. 'The Law of Time!'

With time under his control, Gravis was able to find a safe spot. He only had to move through it, and he could evade the attack.

WHOOOOOOM!

Suddenly, time returned to normal, and Gravis' eyes widened in terror.

'She even knows the Law of Time!?'

Gravis barely finished that thought before the attack closed in on him.

There was nowhere he could evade to anymore. 

All the safe spots were gone.

BOOOOOOOOM!