Lightning Is the Only Way

Gravis and Stella played for several hours, just traveling across the stars, laughing all the time.

After they were done, they simply floated in the vast nothingness of space. Stella was lying on Gravis' chest as she looked at the passing stars. The stars in this world were just like the stars in Gravis' previous middle world. They were simply several-kilometers-wide spheres of pure Energy.

Many Cultivators in the past tried to absorb these stars to reach a higher Realm, but some kind of force always stopped them. For some reason, these stars were unabsorbable by living beings.

"I wish this moment could last forever," Stella said with longing.

Gravis chuckled. "The time we have available together now could as well be described as limitless," Gravis said slowly. "We have resources.. We have power. We have freedom. We have time."

Gravis lightly moved Stella's head so that she looked into his eyes.

"Our time together has only just begun," Gravis said slowly as he lightly kissed her.

Stella only smiled contently as she closed her eyes in bliss.

Gravis was right.

They had so much time now.

There was no pressure.

They could take as long as they wanted.

They simply floated in space, just talking for several days.

Yet, eventually, the two of them wanted to do something else. 

However, they would still be together.

Stella sat down in the nothingness of space as she concentrated on the Law of Cold.

Gravis thought that it was also a good time for him to comprehend the Law of Cold. So, he simply sat down beside Stella as he closed his eyes. 

For Gravis, this was a new form of comprehending Laws.

In the past, he had always lost himself in the Laws.

He had been alone.

There had been only the Laws and him.

However, now, Gravis felt Stella close to him as he comprehended the Law of Cold.

Even though Gravis still lost himself in the Law, he felt like there were now three things instead of two.

Now, there were the Laws, Stella, and Gravis.

Gravis and Stella didn't communicate with each other while they comprehended the Laws, but Gravis felt like the two of them were walking around an icy beach, looking at all the oddities. 

One could say Gravis felt like he was on vacation.

What the two of them hadn't noticed was that their Laws of Empathy had connected with each other. They were currently not physically connected but emotionally connected. It was like their Spirits were looking at the Laws together, and their Spirits shared some minor comprehensions.

In essence, they were truly comprehending the Law of Cold together. 

In fact, this method of comprehending Laws was even faster than the normal one, but not by too much. The speed was around 40% faster.

After an unknown amount of time, Gravis felt that Stella was leaving for a different place. 

However, Gravis didn't become nervous.

He knew that they were together. 

The fact that Stella left meant that she had comprehended the Law of Cold. After all, she had been in this place for a thousand years longer than Gravis.

Gravis remained in the ethereal icy beach as he looked at it, alone.

Yet, Gravis didn't feel lonely.

Now that Stella was with him, this feeling of isolation felt more like quiet and peaceful solitude.

Some time later, Stella returned to the ethereal icy beach. 

Gravis felt like Stella grabbed his hand as she pulled him along the beach, showing him everything. 

They were like a couple on a beach. One of them was running around the beach, showing the other exciting things they found, while the other one simply listened to their partner.

Eventually, Gravis had seen the entire icy beach, and he shot one last look at the cold beach, smiling with content.

BOOOOM!

Gravis comprehended the element-neutral level four Law of Cold easily.

After that, he also left the icy beach.

Gravis took a deep breath as he opened his eyes. He looked forward and saw Stella seemingly sleeping on his lap. Her eyes were closed, and she had a happy smile on her face.

Gravis couldn't stop smiling warmly as he saw her.

"You're already done?" Stella asked as she opened her eyes.

Gravis nodded.

"That was quite fast," Stella said. "It has barely taken you 300 years."

Gravis raised his eyebrows. "That really is quite fast. I was expecting 500 years."

Stella nodded as she leaned her head on Gravis' chest. "I think it's because we have looked at the Laws together."

"Have you also felt it?" Stella asked quietly. "It was like we were on an icy beach."

Gravis nodded. "I felt it, and I think that's the work of our two Laws of Empathy. Apparently, we don't need to be physically connected to share our experiences."

Stella had to chuckle a bit. "I'm glad that we have an alternative. I mean, I don't mind a physical connection, but this is much more relaxing. It also feels purer."

Gravis agreed. Sex was nice, but doing it all the time could become boring. At some point, one needed a break. Otherwise, it would just become stale.

"Have you already finished the level five Law of Temperature?" Gravis asked.

Stella nodded. "Yes, I only needed 50 years to finish my Law of Cold. After that, I directly ate the Law Comprehension Life Fruits."

Stella's expression became complex suddenly as she looked at the stars.

"I actually still can't believe it," she said.

"Believe what?"

"That I already know four level five Laws as an Immortal King," Stella said. "It has been an uncountable number of years since this had happened the last time. I should be the most powerful Immortal King in the world right now, but I don't feel any different."

"I just feel normal. I also don't feel like I am that much more powerful than the other Immortal Kings."

Gravis chuckled a bit. "I know why you feel like this."

"You do?" Stella asked with surprise.

"Yes," Gravis said.

Then, Gravis smirked.

"You don't feel like the most powerful Immortal King because you aren't."

Then, he pointed with his thumb at his chest.

"I am!"

Stella groaned as she lightly punched Gravis. 

"I'm not counting you!" she said with fake annoyance.

Gravis chuckled a bit more. "No, but seriously, I know how you feel. I also went through similar feelings in the lower and middle worlds. You have been born in the higher world, while I have gone through two other ones. When you reach the power of the most elite geniuses, you feel powerful. Yet, when you jump above that bracket and occupy a league of your own, you, ironically, don't feel as powerful."

"That's because you have no one on your Realm to compare yourself to anymore."

"When you reach that level, you can only compare yourself to two things, people of higher Realms and yourself. Obviously, you wouldn't feel super powerful then," Gravis explained.

Stella silently listened to Gravis' words and nodded.

"That makes sense," she said slowly. "You really went through a lot. I have spent my entire life in a Peak Sect, but you went through so many different worlds. I guess you simply have more life experience than me."

"Maybe," Gravis answered.

The two of them continued talking until Gravis remembered something.

'I wonder how Mortis is doing,' Gravis thought. 'He was still comprehending the level five Law of Lightning Manipulation when I started comprehending the Law of Cold. Is he done by now?'

'Can I even check that? I should be able to.'

Gravis thought about several Lightning Laws and thought about how he could better manipulate lightning better.

A sea of categorized and ordered information came to Gravis' mind. It was like he had already learned everything there was.

All this information was new to Gravis, but it didn't feel new. 

He felt like he had already comprehended something like this in the past. 

It was like Gravis had already manipulated his lightning with such proficiency for his entire life.

BZZZ!

Gravis summoned some Divine Lightning and felt its power.

Sure enough, it was a bit more powerful, a bit faster, and a bit more efficient.

Stella looked with interest at Gravis' lightning.

"Is Mortis done?" she asked.

"I think so," Gravis said. "Let me ask."

"Hey, just to make sure," Gravis transmitted to Mortis. "You are done with the level five Law of Lightning Manipulation, right? You know, because normally, I have some kind of enlightening feeling when I comprehend a new Law, but right now, I just feel like I've always had this Law."

"Yes, I finished around 280 years ago," Mortis answered neutrally. 

Gravis scratched the back of his head. 'Well, seems like I comprehended a level five Law just like that. Sure feels weird.'

"By the way, Mortis, I just comprehended the element-neutral Law of Cold. Just for your info. Would be nice if you could give me a heads-up when you comprehend the next one. Otherwise, it feels weird to know a Law but not know that I know it," Gravis said.

"Fine," Mortis said. "Then, just for your info, I'm currently comprehending the level five Law of Lightning's Supreme Speed. Shouldn't take too long."

Gravis nodded. "Sounds good. I will probably check out the element-neutral level four Law of Heat. Stella will probably also help me along the way. Should only take around 300 years. After that, I'll see what we can comprehend next."

"Fine," Mortis answered, cutting off the connection.

Gravis had to chuckle and turned to Stella. "It sure is weird that I comprehended a level five Law without even noticing."

If anyone else heard that, they would turn green from envy.

Comprehending a level five Law just like this?

Yet, Stella wasn't envious.

Yes, Mortis allowed Gravis to learn Laws much faster, but Gravis was also intrinsically bound to Mortis.

She wouldn't want to be in Gravis' shoes.