Lightning Is the Only Way

Mortis didn't react to Gravis' comment as he teleported away.

He wanted to think on his own for a while.

Mortis was incredibly powerful, and his affinity for power was insane. When it came to the pursuit of power, Mortis was probably even superior to Gravis.

However, Mortis' personality was too black and white. 

In his mind, there were only the neutral ones, the ones that he considered enemies, and the ones he considered friends. There was no nuance to his categorization of other beings.

Because of that, Mortis' mindset could easily be shaken as soon as something appeared that he couldn't put into any of these categories. 

Gravis had also thought about Arc's words. After all, such a topic also interested him.

However, Gravis saw no issue. 

So what?

If he were in Mortis' shoes, he would simply look at Arc with a more favorable expression, but that was it. There would be no debt or anything. 

Arc's words didn't impact Gravis at all, even though they had forced Mortis to retreat into thinking.

This showed the difference in the strengths of their personalities.

"That guy needs to pull that stick out of his ass," Gravis commented. "He's always so tense and serious."

"That's his choice, though," Arc said. "Right?"

Gravis nodded. "Obviously. He now has his own freedom."

Arc also nodded. "And that's why I have said what I have said. Mortis' personality suppresses himself, and showing him the conflict inside his own personality may help him to grow."

"Thanks," Gravis said with a smile. "Even though I've had an intense disagreement with Mortis' personality in the past, he's still a part of me, and I want that part to also be happy. I can't force him to follow my path, and I also don't want to, but if I can help him, I will."

"That's also why Mortis is fine with his current circumstance," Arc said. "Obviously, he is not truly free yet. You two are still intrinsically connected, and you are also in a more powerful position. Would you accept to be in this position?"

Gravis frowned. "Difficult."

"Exactly," Arc said with a smile. "However, he knows you very well and also knows how you think. He knows that he can trust you with his life, which is why he is willing to be in the weaker position. He knows that you will do your best to help him become truly free."

Gravis rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Why does that make it sound like he's an angry teenager while I'm his dad?"

Arc laughed a bit. "You kind of are. Mortis is very powerful, but he isn't truly emotionally mature. His mindset could be shaken by just some careless words of mine, which demonstrates that fact."

"His personality is very in tune with lightning, but lightning is only one of the elements. Never stepping a foot out of your home doesn't allow you to grow as a person. You might become an incredibly powerful Cultivator, but in your head, you would still be a teenager," Arc said.

"Even if Mortis doesn't realize it yet, you will automatically become the one that will make most decisions," Arc said. "Your mindset is far more accommodating and flexible than Mortis' without being unstable."

Gravis sighed. "That sounds like responsibility," Gravis said.

"Are you unwilling?" Arc asked with a smirk.

Gravis smiled. "Of course not!" Gravis said. "If it helps Mortis, I'm willing to take on this small bit of responsibility."

Some seconds of silence passed.

"Gravis," Arc said. "You made the right choice."

Gravis looked in the direction Mortis left. Then, he turned back to Arc. "Yes, I think this was the correct one."

"What do you think? What's the opinion of your father and my creator on this solution?" Arc asked.

Gravis furrowed his brows. 

"I'm not sure," Gravis said. "I can make a guess about my father, but I can't guess the highest Heaven's intentions."

"What do you think is your father's opinion?" Arc asked.

Gravis sighed. "I would like to think that my father would support me and that he would say that any action that doesn't result in my death is the correct one."

"However, this isn't so simple."

"This was not something that ends with just this decision. Instead, this decision might have solidified my death in the future."

"How so?" Arc asked with an interested smile.

"I have never seen my father use an Element in battle, and I have also never heard about him using one," Gravis said. "He always fought directly with his saber. This means that there could be a possibility that using the Elements against the highest Heaven doesn't work very well."

"It might even be possible that the highest Heaven has supreme control over all the Elements."

Gravis sighed again. "So, even if I don't want to admit it…"

"It's possible that Mortis might become the very person that kills me in the future."

"My father might have noticed something like this. He would still tell me that whatever I decide is the correct choice, but it's also possible that he believes that it would have been better if I abandoned all lightning," Gravis said heavily.

"And if that were true, and you knew for certain that your father would think that your decision was wrong, would you change it?" Arc asked.

"No," Gravis said without hesitation. "I am free, and I decide what I want. I am no longer a child, and I can make my own decisions, even if my close ones don't approve of them."

"What if Mortis will truly be your death in the future?" Arc asked.

Gravis looked again in the direction Mortis left in. His eyes were heavy as he narrowed his eyes.

"If Mortis will truly kill me in the future, it only means that I have not been powerful enough."

"However, it's not about if he will kill me or not, but if he will attack me or not," Gravis said coldly.

"I like Mortis, and I only want the best for him, but…"

A cold gleam appeared in Gravis' eyes.

"If he wants to stand against me in the future, I will eradicate my past to make way for my future," Gravis said with conviction.

Silence.

"Want to know what my creator thinks about your solution?"

Gravis looked at Arc.