Lightning Is the Only Way

Gravis and Siral went back to the Sect Alliance's territory but kept their Laws of Shadow's Subtlety up and running. There was no reason to come into contact with the Sect Alliance again. They were only here for the branch of the Life Sect.

After around an hour, Gravis and Siral arrived near the location of the Life Sect's branch. 

Gravis looked at the branch of the Life Sect in front of him and lifted an eyebrow. 

"This really isn't as impressive as I had thought," Gravis said.

"Master, this is their residence," Siral answered deferentially. 

How did the residency look?

Well, it was basically a village.

There were a ton of mortals roaming around, and it didn't seem any different from any other village. The actual house of the Life Sect's branch was just a two-story house made out of stone. 

The only special thing about this house was the crest that was placed above its entrance. It was a picture of a greenish-white flame-raindrop thing. It looked a bit like green fire, but its edges were very rounded like teardrops. Gravis guessed that this crest probably symbolized water and soul. Quite a good symbol for a Sect that was all about life.

Gravis and Siral came out of hiding and landed in the village. However, no mortal seemed to react to them. 

Of course, that was due to Siral's and Gravis' Spirits. If they didn't want to be seen by mortals, they wouldn't be seen. Just their desire to not be noticed swayed the weak Spirits of the mortals, forcing them to overlook their existence. 

After landing in the village, Gravis and Siral walked over to the Life Sect's branch. 

When they arrived in front of its entrance, nothing happened. No one came out to welcome them or shoo them away. 

"We can enter," Siral said. Gravis had told him to not call him Master in front of others. If it came out that Gravis had a Life Ring, he wouldn't even know how he died. 

Gravis nodded and opened the door. 

However, this door was the first thing that was different from mortal standards. The building appeared just like any mortal building, but the door was actually rather heavy.

Of course, it was only heavy for mortal standards. 

Mortals would never be able to even budge this door, but someone in the Unity Realm would be able to open it if they tried really hard. Someone in the Nascent Nourishing Realm could just open it normally. 

When the door opened, the mortals looked over but then ignored it again. They were used to this door opening on its own from time to time. It did that sometimes. It was weird, but nothing had ever come of it.

Gravis and Siral entered, and they saw a wooden entrance hall. It wasn't really anything special, and there were no peculiar items being displayed. All in all, it simply looked like a small mansion for mortals.

Clank!

Another door opened as someone walked out. It was a young man with green hair. He had obviously come here to receive Gravis and Siral. However, he truly didn't act like a receptionist. 

The man frowned as he walked over to a small table on the side in annoyance. Then, he beckoned Gravis and Siral over without looking at them. 

Gravis shrugged and walked over.

"What do you want?" the guy asked with an annoyed tone.

Gravis lifted an eyebrow but decided not to comment. "I'm here to purchase a map of the world."

The man furrowed his brows in confusion. "I think you got the wrong door," the guy said with annoyance. "Get your map from the Sect Alliance. We're healing people, not selling maps."

"I think you don't understand," Gravis said. "I want a map of the world, not of the Nine Elements Sect's territory."

"Okay," the guy said. "But that didn't answer my question."

"You didn't ask a question," Gravis said back.

The guy groaned in exasperation. "Yes, I didn't ask one, but it's obvious what I mean. I'm asking why you're coming to us, a healing shop, when you're looking for a map," the guy commented with an annoyed tone.

Gravis smirked. "Why should I get a map from some fringe territory in the Core Regions when a branch of a Peak Sect is right here?" Gravis asked.

This got the man's attention as his annoyed expression vanished, leaving an interested one behind. He raised one of his eyebrows. "Hoh? Says who?" he asked.

"Says me," Gravis said. Then, Gravis narrowed his eyes. "I'm here to buy a map. You guys are a business, right? So, why not make some extra money by selling me one?"

The guy blinked twice calmly. "What are you searching for?" he asked.

"I want a map that shows the locations of the Nine Elements Sect, the Primordial Force Sect, the All-Matter Sect, the Purist Sect, the Life Sect, and the beast territories," Gravis said.

After Gravis was finished talking, the man's expression changed to genuine surprise. Then, he fell into thought as he looked at the ground.

After some seconds, he looked back at Gravis. "Wait here," he said. 

"Sure," Gravis answered.

After that, someone else entered through the same door the other guy had come through. It was an old man, and Gravis actually recognized him.

This was the same person that had saved Surem back then. 

Now that Gravis was powerful enough, he could also feel the old man's level. This was a Mid Minor Circulation Immortal King, someone on the same level as a Sect Master. 

This was already ridiculous for a "small healing shop", but Gravis was certain that there was someone else in here. There was probably someone else inside a room hidden by Formation Arrays that kept this branch safe. Otherwise, if the Sect Alliance got some ideas, this branch would be annihilated.

The young man bowed to the older man and left through the same door. Then, the older man came over to the table and looked at Siral. He didn't show it on his face, but he was probably quite surprised that a Major Circulation Immortal King came to this branch. This was unusual.

The young man had only been a Peak Immortal, and he hadn't been able to feel Siral's power. All the Sect Masters in this area felt like mountains in front of him. So, he had simply assumed that Siral was just another Sect Master.

The old man noticed that Gravis stood in the front while Siral stood in the back. The old man turned to Gravis, and his brows furrowed. After that, he started to slowly stroke his long, white beard in thought. 

"You seem familiar," he said.

Gravis smiled. "Yes, we met around 40,000 years ago," Gravis said. "You even invited me to join the Life Sect."

The old man stopped stroking his beard as he remembered. "Oh, I remember now," he said. "You are that one Ascender, right? Have you reconsidered joining our Sect?" he asked with a smile.

"I don't want to join any Sect for now," Gravis said. "I want to see what every Peak Sect has to offer first before I make my decision."

The old man sighed but nodded. "Haste makes waste, young friend," he said. "It's a good thing to consider one's options. So, I have heard that you want to procure a map?"

Gravis nodded. "Yes. I want to temper myself in the beast territories before I consider joining any Sect," Gravis explained. "My Will-Aura is too weak right now, and as soon as I join a Sect, I will probably spend a considerable amount of time in there, earning money, comprehending Laws, and so on."

The old man laughed loudly. "Your Will-Aura is too weak?" he asked with mirth. "Are you trying to put this old man to shame? Your Will-Aura is several levels more powerful than mine, and you say that it's too weak?"

Gravis smiled back and chuckled. He liked the disposition of this old man. The previous guy had been rude, but this old man was easy to get along with. "Well, my goals are not normal," Gravis said.

"Oh?" the old man said with interest as he leaned forward. "What are these abnormal goals?" he asked.

Gravis only smiled. "I can tell you, but I also want a map," Gravis said.

The old man leaned back again and went back to stroking his long beard. 

Then, he smiled widely.

At that moment, Gravis received an image in his Spirit.

It was a map!

'Well, that was easy.'