Ch. 1311..1320
Chapter 1311 – Different Worlds
The surrounding Heaven's Magnates couldn't believe what they were seeing.
First, they had been shocked by the sheer feeling of power they felt from Gravis.
And then, Gravis' power had suddenly violently shot up!
On top of that, they felt Gravis' dominion over the world.
It was unmistakable.
Gravis could control Energy now!
What was going on!?
He had just become a Heaven's Magnate a minute ago.
Yet, in only a single minute of being a Heaven's Magnate, Gravis' power had reached the same level as Peaceful Serenity and Child of Heaven!
For the first time, even the three old foggies looked at Gravis with interest.
This was too abnormal!
Maybe there was finally a chance to get out of this never-ending nightmare of stagnation?
Master Linus looked at Gravis with absolute shock.
He had known that Gravis was special, but this topped everything he had ever imagined.
When Zero's Essence saw Gravis, she involuntarily got reminded of her father.
As Gravis stood before her in the air like this, she felt like she was standing in front of her father.
The Opposer always exuded this dark and destructive aura around him, and only when Zero's Essence had reached the Heaven's Magnate Realm was she truly able to somewhat comprehend this aura.
It was like her father was using some form of forbidden power.
And now, she felt like Gravis was also using this forbidden power.
When people looked at the Opposer, they felt like the Opposer shouldn't exist. His every existence was contradictory to what they had come to know as reality.
And now, Gravis felt just as contradictory.
Gravis' power went against the very concept of existence.
It was like he shouldn't exist.
The Black Magnate wasn't sure how he should feel right now. He had always seen Gravis as a nephew, and he had been happy when Gravis had finally joined his level.
The Black Magnate could show Gravis around, and they could finally talk as equal beings.
Yet, when Gravis had become a Heaven's Magnate, he had already reached the power of the Black Magnate.
Because of that, the Black Magnate had felt a bit frustrated earlier. He had wanted to show Gravis around as a senior. He wanted to show Gravis all the things.
And now, Gravis had exploded even more with power, easily overtaking him!
It was such a strange feeling.
Just minutes ago, the Black Magnate had the ability to kill Gravis with a slap.
And now, Gravis had the ability to kill the Black Magnate with a slap.
It was so strange.
The Black Magnate had watched Gravis for a huge part of his life, and the Black Magnate had always rooted for the young and weak Cultivator.
But now, that young and weak Cultivator had already overtaken the Black Magnate.
It was hard to wrap his head around the current situation.
Happy Springs felt a cold shiver run down her spine.
She had intended to play around with Gravis and pull some pranks on him, but Gravis had already overtaken her in power. Even more, Gravis exuded some kind of aura that made Happy Springs fearful.
Not even Peaceful Serenity or Child of Heaven exuded such an aura.
Peaceful Serenity simply felt like a person that was about to leave due to her incredible power. It was like she had graduated from life. Because of that, Peaceful Serenity felt like an ancient senior.
Child of Heaven simply felt like a superior. It was like he was the supervisor over existence. Happy Springs couldn't imagine becoming Child of Heaven's friend because of that. It simply didn't feel right.
But Gravis…
Gravis felt like he shouldn't exist.
It was like interacting with Gravis was interacting with a taboo.
She felt like she should avoid all contact with Gravis.
It was for her own good.
Heavenly Senior also went through a multitude of emotions.
First, he had been annoyed.
Heavenly Senior loved taking on a senior role. The fact that Gravis had immediately become as powerful as him had made him feel annoyed. Gravis was like a new hire that had immediately reached the same position as Heavenly Senior when he should have been Heavenly Senior's inferior.
And then, Gravis had suddenly comprehended the Law of Energy, making him superior to Heavenly Senior.
This had frustrated Heavenly Senior to no end.
However, eventually, he found a way to accept the situation.
He simply didn't count Gravis as someone in the same world as him.
Gravis obviously lived in a separate world.
End of Light clenched her fists.
She had looked forward to having one more competitor. The more competitors she had, the better! She needed enemies and competitors to grow more powerful! Only with more competitors would she be able to push herself to the peak!
Yet, Gravis had immediately overtaken her.
It was like she was about to receive a present just for that present to evade her hands to go to another pair of hands.
In the end, she could only accept Gravis' rise to power, and she focused on Mortis.
Mortis was more powerful than an average Heaven's Magnate. End of Light also perceived herself to be above the average Heaven's Magnate in power, and she was looking forward to Mortis finally comprehending the Law of Energy.
End of Light didn't want to fight Happy Springs since she felt like killing Happy Springs would make the world lose color.
End of Light also didn't want to kill Heavenly Senior. It was fun to be around Heavenly Senior.
End of Light wanted to kill the Black Magnate, but she perceived the Black Magnate to be below her in power. Killing him wouldn't help her push herself to the top.
Because of that, all her focus had been put on Gravis and Mortis, and with Gravis now being above her in power, she fully focused on Mortis.
And Mortis?
How did Mortis perceive Gravis' sudden rise?
Melancholy.
Mortis could only sigh.
Mortis had always known that he was weaker than Gravis.
Gravis always told Mortis that Mortis simply had different strengths. Mortis could take out Cultivators Gravis would have huge problems against.
But now, the truth had been unveiled.
When Gravis had become a Heaven's Magnate, Mortis had immediately felt the difference.
When Gravis had perceived all the Heaven's Magnates that didn't know the Law of Energy to be incredibly weak, it had included Mortis.
Mortis couldn't emulate the mindset of the Avatar of Death. Mortis was made of Heavenly Lightning, and Heavenly Lightning's temperament still influenced Mortis.
Changing his mindset meant losing his lightning, which meant losing his very existence.
Yet, Mortis had already expected Gravis to be more powerful than him. So, when he had felt Gravis' overwhelming power, he had already seen it coming.
But deep inside, he had wished that it wouldn't be like this.
Sadly, reality couldn't be changed.
However, when Gravis also directly comprehended the Law of Energy, Mortis felt a heavy hit.
Mortis had been a Heaven's Magnate for over three million years.
Yet, he hadn't even come close to comprehending the Law of Energy.
It was simply too difficult.
Mortis had already planned to temper himself against another Heaven's Magnate, but he hadn't wanted to outpace Gravis by too much.
He wanted Gravis to become a Heaven's Magnate first.
And now, everything had changed.
Mortis felt like his existence had become even more irrelevant than it had been before.
Chapter 1312 – Alienation
A long period of silence passed in the air.
A new Heaven's Magnate had been born, but this occasion wasn't as joyous as it always had been.
It was a frustrating and sad occasion.
Everyone had believed that they would receive a new colleague.
Yet, they had turned out to be someone that wasn't a part of them.
He wasn't like them.
He didn't share the same problems as them.
He didn't fight like them.
He didn't use the same powers as them.
He was different.
He didn't belong.
They had looked forward to Gravis joining them. After all, most of them had watched Gravis after he had caused the Heaven Clash. They had known that he was different in a way, but they had believed that he would eventually join them.
Yet, in their minds, he didn't.
"Wow, eh," Heavenly Senior said through an awkward laugh. "I wanted to welcome you, but you don't seem like you need my welcome. You look like you're doing very well on your own."
At the Heaven's Magnate Realm, Gravis couldn't see the Law fragments of the other Heaven's Magnates. Because of that, he couldn't completely be certain of what Heavenly Senior was thinking.
Gravis only turned his gaze to Heavenly Senior.
When Heavenly Senior saw Gravis looking at him, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
It was like that time the Opposer had looked at him.
He didn't like that sensation.
"So, anyway, welcome," Heavenly Senior said awkwardly. "If you need anything, just call me, okay?"
Gravis nodded. "Thank you."
Gravis didn't fully know what Heavenly Senior was thinking, but Gravis recognized that expression.
He had seen very similar expressions a very long time ago.
Back when Gravis had joined the Research Institute to become a Research Apprentice, he had become part of a class.
After Gravis had created his Will-Aura, his classmates had looked at him the same way.
It was uncomfortable for them to look at him.
Back then, Gravis' classmates had avoided talking to him. It wasn't that they disliked him but that they simply didn't feel any connection to him.
It was like Gravis was a stranger.
Heavenly Senior now showed the same expression.
Gravis wasn't supposed to be here.
That was what the expression said.
"No problem. So, see you later," Heavenly Senior said with an awkward smile before vanishing.
"Yes, welcome," Happy Springs said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "If you need anything, just call, alright?"
Gravis only nodded. Happy Springs was looking with the same expression at him.
SHING!
Happy Springs also vanished.
End of Light didn't even interact with Gravis before vanishing.
There was no point in talking to him.
They were people of different worlds.
The three old foggies looked at each other and left without a word.
They were very interested in Gravis. Maybe Gravis could change everything.
However, they also felt the same feeling of estrangement as the other ones, and they felt that it was better not to come into contact with Gravis.
It was for the best to let things play out.
Master Linus looked at Gravis with a complex expression.
He felt like he and Gravis were rather close. After all, Gravis had helped him back then.
However, that had been on the basis that Master Linus was the one with the power advantage.
After Gravis had become more powerful than Master Linus by such a degree, Master Linus felt like they weren't in the same world anymore.
Some people might feel a feeling of estrangement when their friend suddenly managed to find success on a global or cosmic scale. It was like the person they had always been friends with was no longer the same person as before.
It was like a different person had taken on the identity of that person.
This was what Master Linus felt right now.
He desired to talk with Gravis, but he also felt like he shouldn't.
Gravis was probably too occupied with other things to talk to him.
Gravis' vision had reached places that Master Linus couldn't even imagine, and he felt like he should leave Gravis to his desires.
So, after some polite words, Master Linus also left.
As for Zero's Essence, her feelings towards Gravis hadn't changed.
She had always seen Gravis as a very distant brother. They were theoretically related, but they had nothing that really connected them.
Gravis was just like an acquaintance.
Because of that, Zero's Essence only talked with Gravis about some superficial topics and also left.
They simply didn't have much in common, which made a conversation undesirable.
Then, Mortis' and Gravis' gazes met.
They knew each other perfectly, and they didn't need to talk to know what the other one was thinking.
Both of them felt what the other one was feeling.
Mortis was feeling inferior, demotivated, and pressured, and Gravis noticed it.
Gravis felt that Mortis' feelings came from an irrelevant place and that Mortis had more than enough qualities to put him in an equal place to Gravis, and Mortis noticed it.
However, their feelings were overshadowed by one shared feeling.
Unimportance.
Irrelevance.
Both of them knew that both of them felt that all of these feelings were unimportant in the grander scheme.
With the finality of their future in mind, any current emotional problems lost all impact and relevancy.
Because of that, Mortis left without a word.
The two of them didn't need to talk.
Even though they were two separate beings, their Spirits were still perfectly synchronized.
Everything that needed to be said between the two of them had already been said.
Now, they only needed to travel towards the end.
Child of Heaven didn't interact with Gravis. Just like everyone else, Child of Heaven felt that Gravis was no longer part of his world.
Child of Heaven was essentially the leader of the world under Heaven. In theory, he was responsible for keeping Gravis in check.
Yet, Child of Heaven knew that Gravis didn't fall under his responsibility.
Gravis was a special case.
So, just like everyone else, Child of Heaven felt that Gravis simply didn't share his world.
That only left two people, the Black Magnate and Peaceful Serenity.
It was logical that the Black Magnate remained. After all, the Black Magnate even managed to become friends with someone like the Opposer, and the Opposer exuded an even more powerful feeling of alienation than Gravis.
The Black Magnate would have no issues with remaining friends with Gravis. He was already preparing all the complaints he would throw at Gravis later.
However, what about Peaceful Serenity?
Why was she still here?
Gravis and Peaceful Serenity had no connection.
In fact, Peaceful Serenity had no connections with anyone.
It was like she was the only being in her world, and everyone else didn't matter.
She had kept everyone at a distance.
Yet, at this moment, her eyes calmly looked at Gravis.
In fact, it was almost like Peaceful Serenity hadn't even been surprised by Gravis' sudden advance.
It was like she had expected Gravis to become that powerful with such speed.
Gravis looked at Peaceful Serenity, and he saw a glimmer of purpose in her eyes.
It was like Peaceful Serenity was looking at her destiny.
"Just as expected," Peaceful Serenity said slowly.
"My purpose has arrived."
"The purpose for why I am still in this Cosmos."
Chapter 1313 – Destiny
Gravis looked at Peaceful Serenity with an evaluating expression.
Why did she say that?
Why did she say that Gravis was the reason why she was still in this Cosmos?
Gravis' first thought went to tempering. After all, maybe Child of Heaven was too powerful for her, and she desired to fight someone weaker?
However, Gravis felt absolutely no animosity coming from Peaceful Serenity. She probably didn't want to fight him.
There was also no goodwill.
It was like Gravis was simply a stranger that was connected to her.
In a way, Peaceful Serenity's aura reminded Gravis of his own situation.
It felt like Peaceful Serenity was simply doing what she was supposed to do.
"Could you explain?" Gravis asked.
Peaceful Serenity's eyes never left Gravis.
"The status quo has remained unchanged for long enough," she said. "The Opposer and Heaven have been fighting each other for an eternity, and the weaker beings suffer."
"Everyone wishes an end to this conflict, but no one has managed to interfere."
"Until you appeared," she said.
Gravis lifted an eyebrow. Peaceful Serenity was speaking like she was privy to some secret information.
"You can use the power of the Opposer," she said. "You can make use of the very power that allows the Opposer to fight against Heaven and remain in this Cosmos."
'Remain in this Cosmos?' Gravis thought with furrowed brows. 'Why is she talking like father wants to be here?'
"There are some pieces of information you do not yet know," Peaceful Serenity said. "I will explain everything to you, and you will also realize your destiny."
The more Peaceful Serenity said the more confused Gravis became.
Realize his destiny?
Gravis was more than certain of his destiny.
He knew exactly how everything would go down…
And how much longer he had left.
"The Heaven's Magnate Realm is not the last Realm, Gravis," Peaceful Serenity said. "There is a Realm above it. The only beings we know of that are in this Realm are Heaven and the Opposer."
"We call it the Heaven Realm," she said.
Gravis remained silent, but he realized that what Peaceful Serenity said was incorrect.
There was a Realm after the Heaven's Magnate Realm, but Gravis was sure that it wasn't called the Heaven Realm.
The Realm after the Heaven's Magnate Realm focused on creating a Cosmos, while the Heaven Breaker Realm, the one after that, focused on expanding one's Cosmos.
Peaceful Serenity's assumption that the Opposer and Heaven were in the Heaven Realm was already incorrect since both of them were in the Realm after that.
At this moment, Gravis realized that his suspicions had been misplaced.
He had thought that Peaceful Serenity knew of the worlds outside Orthar's Cosmos, but she actually didn't.
Her mind was still well within Orthar's Cosmos.
"There have been Heaven's Magnates in the past that managed to reach the Heaven Realm," Peaceful Serenity explained. "However, since Heaven can't allow another Opposer to rise, it banishes the newly advanced Heaven Realm Cultivators. It can't allow something so dangerous to remain within its very heart, its Cosmos."
These words surprised Gravis. "There have been Heaven's Magnates that reached the Heaven Realm?" he asked.
"Yes," Peaceful Serenity answered. "If a Heaven's Magnate wants to reach the Heaven Realm, Heaven will put the Cultivator to the test to see if they are truly worthy to advance."
"Everything in the world leads up to this moment. Heaven has prepared us for the very moment we try to advance to the Heaven Realm."
"Heaven has treated us Cultivators kindly for all our lives. It has given us a home and a path to power. Heaven's goal is obvious."
"It wants allies!" Peaceful Serenity declared.
"I do not know what kind of threats Heaven is facing on the outside, but it needs our help. If Heaven dies, our Cosmos dies. Our Cosmos is our home, and it is our duty to defend it."
"Gravis, I know that you are the Opposer's son. However, I also know that you are not na?ve. You realize that your father is dooming our entire world."
"While Heaven is facing incomparable threats on the outside, your father refuses to leave, and on top of that, he is leeching off Heaven's Energy while constantly trying to kill it."
"Heaven has created all of us, and it is our duty to protect our parents!"
"Look around!" Peaceful Serenity declared as she gestured to the world.
"This is what Heaven has given us, and we can't allow it to be destroyed."
Then, Peaceful Serenity took a deep breath as she looked deeply into Gravis' eyes.
"I do not expect you to go against your father. I know that won't happen."
"However, I would like you to make it easier on Heaven. While all the Heaven's Magnates are forced out of the Cosmos when they reach the Heaven Realm, you share the power of the Opposer. With that power, you can forcefully remain in this Cosmos."
"Please use that power and try to give Heaven a helping hand. Heaven is very forgiving, and it will surely let your father live as long as he swears to no longer go against it. This war can end without either side killing the other!"
"This is your destiny," Peaceful Serenity said with solemnity.
"I believe you are not so arrogant that you believe that you have reached such a level of power all on your own. No, it was Heaven. Heaven has chosen you to end this conflict."
"It has watched over your entire life, ensuring that you would become powerful enough to finally get rid of the unnecessary war going on in its very Cosmos."
"This is your destiny," Peaceful Serenity said as she took a deep breath.
"And I have mine."
Several seconds of silence passed.
"My destiny is to show you the last step," she explained quietly. "The other Heaven's Magnates believe that I want to replace Child of Heaven, but that's incorrect. My eyes have never rested upon only this Cosmos."
Then, her eyes looked at the sky.
"No, my future lies far beyond these stars. I have never considered replacing Child of Heaven."
"Yet, for some reason, I have always felt like I should wait. I always felt like there was something that I needed to do in this Cosmos before leaving."
"After millions of years of wondering, I have finally found you, Gravis," Peaceful Serenity said as she looked at Gravis with a smile. "You are the one fated to change Heaven's Cosmos."
"And I am your guide. In the future, you will also have to reach the Heaven Realm, but reaching the Heaven Realm is incredibly difficult. If you haven't seen how it works before, your chances of success are very low."
"I have seen how it works once before in my life, and I believe that I have a 50% chance of succeeding. Yet, if I hadn't seen it before, my chances would be minuscule."
"Today, I will transcend the lightning tribulation! I will show you how to reach the Heaven Realm!"
"That is my duty, and that is why I am here," Peaceful Serenity declared. "I am the bridge that allows you to reach your destiny!"
Gravis only looked at Peaceful Serenity in shock.
Chapter 1314 – Heaven Realm
It was difficult for Gravis to comprehend his current situation.
The things Peaceful Serenity was talking about were as far away from the truth as they could get.
Heaven wants allies?
Definitely not!
Gravis knew how Heaven Breakers got their power, and letting someone with so much Energy and power leave their Cosmos would weaken them massively!
Sure, the new Heaven Breaker might repay their previous Heaven, but that was an uncertainty. It relied fully on trust.
Was Orthar a trustful person?
Was Orthar someone that gave others a selfless present just to hope that they might repay him in the future?
Definitely not.
Orthar valued control above everything else!
Everything must be within Orthar's control at all times.
After a while of trying to grasp his current situation, Gravis realized that Peaceful Serenity's thoughts actually weren't absurd.
If one didn't know about the Primordial Chaos and Heaven Breakers, one might actually believe that Heaven wanted allies.
After all, why would Heaven allow them to reach the Heaven Realm if it didn't want them to succeed?
It would just kill them.
Of course, one might still doubt Orthar's sincerity. After all, there were also the three old foggies. They believed that they were destined to die, no matter what they did.
If someone knew all the information, one might believe Peaceful Serenity's beliefs to be ridiculous. However, if one were in the same situation, the chances were very high that they would believe the same thing.
Why?
Ambition and optimism.
If one had strived to reach their goal for their entire lives, the realization that the goal led to a dead-end would be too hard to handle.
It would invalidate their entire existence.
The Heaven's Magnates had worked harder than anyone else to reach their current spot, and that realization would hit them that much harder because of that.
They couldn't accept that, after everything they had invested, they would walk right into death.
There had to be a different reason, right?
Life couldn't be this hopeless, right?
And with no one directly telling them the truth, they were more likely to believe something that was easier to swallow.
As Gravis thought more about this, he realized how terrifyingly effective Orthar's conduct had been.
Orthar was raising valuable crops just to harvest them.
And even more, the crops happily jumped into the sickle.
Peaceful Serenity was the perfect example. She had told Gravis all of the secrets of the Cosmos.
Sadly, these secrets weren't the actual secrets.
These secrets were a dream.
They were a perceived reality.
They didn't exist.
Peaceful Serenity had painted a beautiful picture of the outside world, filled with purpose and light.
But that picture was a picture of death.
Gravis wanted to tell Peaceful Serenity the truth, but he couldn't. This was still Orthar's Cosmos, and Orthar wouldn't allow any interference.
These were Orthar's crops, and he wouldn't allow anyone to ruin them.
They belonged to Orthar. They were his!
In the past, Gravis might have decided to try to make Peaceful Serenity understand regardless. After all, he didn't need to say any specifics. Maybe he could just steer her mind in the correct direction?
But now, it didn't really matter anymore.
Gravis knew what was coming.
Whether Peaceful Serenity died now with illusions or a bit later while knowing the truth didn't make a difference.
Might as well let her go on her own terms.
"You want to show me how to overcome the lightning tribulation?" Gravis asked neutrally.
"Yes," Peaceful Serenity answered. "The lightning tribulation is the last obstacle before the Heaven Realm. Only after overcoming the lightning tribulation can you make your Cosmos a reality."
"The lightning tribulation, as the name suggests, is a tribulation that involves Heaven attacking your Cosmos with lightning as you try to create it. This might sound like an attack, but it is actually very similar to forging."
"The lightning strikes allow you to feel out the weakest parts of your Cosmos. Without them, our Cosmos might be born in an incomplete state."
"With the lightning tribulation, Heaven is helping us create our own Cosmos. It is sacrificing its own Energy to help us. This is the last and most costly sacrifice Heaven can give for its children," Peaceful Serenity explained.
Gravis didn't really react to anything Peaceful Serenity said.
In Gravis' perspective, the surroundings were mired in grey and black.
Peaceful Serenity was like an optimistic child shortly before the enemy army raided their gates.
It didn't matter.
It made no difference.
It changed nothing.
"Do whatever you like," Gravis said neutrally.
In a way, Gravis felt a bit of pain and melancholy as he saw Peaceful Serenity.
Her power was so grand.
Her purpose was so bright.
She was so filled with purpose that it was difficult to dislike her.
Yet, when one knew the truth of the situation, seeing someone like this only felt tragic.
Gravis pitied Peaceful Serenity.
When Peaceful Serenity heard Gravis accept, she took a deep breath and nodded with a smile.
"Today is a good day," she said with a bright voice. "I have remained in this Cosmos for far too long. It is interesting to watch life go on, but there is more for me out there."
"Today, I can finally leave this Cosmos and see the wider world. What else is out there? Are the previous Heaven's Magnates that managed to leave this Cosmos still alive? Will I meet them? How unimaginably powerful are the people out there? What have they gone through in their lives to reach that level?"
Peaceful Serenity's mind was filled with dreams.
Gravis only silently watched her with a bit of pain in his eyes.
"Watch closely, Gravis," Peaceful Serenity said. "I will show you how to overcome the lightning tribulation!"
Gravis only absentmindedly nodded.
With an excited expression, Peaceful Serenity flew far into the sky.
WHOOOM!
Her world appeared behind her, but her world was different from the worlds of the other Heaven's Magnates.
It was a black sphere, which was nearly empty. Only in the middle of it could one see the actual world.
This was a Cosmos.
The spherical border represented the filter. This filter protected the Cosmos against forces other than Energy.
The emptiness inside the sphere represented space that one could use to create worlds. At the moment, there was only one world inside Peaceful Serenity's Cosmos. Later, all of the empty space would be filled with different worlds.
When Peaceful Serenity summoned her Cosmos, the sky began to darken with clouds.
Violent, black lightning bolts shot throughout the clouds, slowly gaining power.
When Gravis felt these lightning bolts, he released a sigh.
'Just as I've thought,' Gravis thought. 'How na?ve I have been.'
'As long as I am one with lightning, I can stop Heaven's lightning, huh?'
'No. This is not just lightning. This is Orthar's lightning. I can't control it.'
When Gravis realized this, a tiny ember of hope that hadn't been extinguished yet left him.
Then, Peaceful Serenity began to expand her Cosmos.
The lightning attacked her Cosmos, nearly breaking it. However, Peaceful Serenity had already seen that coming, and she had managed to shape it into a form that resisted lightning.
Then, the second lightning bolt struck.
And the third.
The fourth.
The fifth.
By now, it became much harder for Peaceful Serenity to withstand the lightning, but her Cosmos began to glow and take form.
BANG!
The sixth bolt of lightning nearly broke her Cosmos. However, the cracks on her Cosmos mended, and its shell became even harder.
With every single bolt, her Cosmos nearly got destroyed, but it always came out far stronger than before.
Then, after the ninth bolt, no more bolts came.
The other Heaven's Magnates had returned to witness the spectacle. They had believed that Peaceful Serenity wanted to take Child of Heaven's place, but apparently, they had been mistaken.
She was actually attempting to reach the Heaven Realm!
They all watched with rapt attention. This was valuable knowledge, and they had to learn as much as they could. After all, in the future, they would also have to undergo the lightning tribulation.
After some minutes, the world calmed down again.
Peaceful Serenity had survived, and her Cosmos was shining behind her.
A bright and happy smile was on Peaceful Serenity's face.
Her Cosmos landed on her open palm, and with a smile, Peaceful Serenity let it fly away.
In just a bit, her Cosmos vanished from the world.
It had left the highest world, and after that, it left Orthar's Cosmos.
After the Cosmos vanished, Peaceful Serenity started to become transparent.
She was phasing out of Orthar's Cosmos.
She threw one last smile at Gravis.
"Please, help Heaven. I will repay you when we meet outside."
Gravis only nodded without motivation.
Then, Peaceful Serenity vanished.
Silence.
The other Heaven's Magnates were excited and happy that one of them managed to reach the Heaven Realm and reach the outside.
Even the Black Magnate was excited.
The Black Magnate might be the Opposer's friend, but he sadly also wasn't allowed to know the bitter truth.
"She has died, and her Cosmos has been absorbed by the old bastard's Cosmos," the Opposer told Gravis with a voice transmission.
"Her Cosmos will be used to create a great number of lower, middle, and higher worlds. In the near future, the number of ascendants will grow by a lot."
Gravis wasn't shocked when he heard that.
He knew all along that it would play out this way.
In order to keep up the illusion, Orthar had allowed Peaceful Serenity to leave his Cosmos, but as soon as she was outside, he killed her and absorbed her Cosmos.
Her Cosmos expanded Orthar's Cosmos, and her Energy would slowly be fed back into Orthar's Cosmos to keep the illusion alive.
And in the meantime, the other Heaven's Magnates were excited for their friend.
She had made it!
She was free!
Chapter 1315 – Mother
While all the other Heaven's Magnates felt great that one of them managed to ascend, Gravis only looked at everyone with a distant gaze.
So what if their reason for feeling happy was fake?
It was a party of irrelevancy.
It didn't matter anyway.
Peaceful Serenity was gone.
Now, only Gravis and Child of Heaven were left as the strongest Heaven's Magnates.
Child of Heaven acted mysteriously and like he knew more information than the other Heaven's Magnates, but he actually wasn't any different.
All of them had been blinded by Orthar.
As the last person able to rival him, Child of Heaven watched Gravis for a bit. His eyes didn't show animosity or nervousness but neutrality.
Child of Heaven knew that Gravis wasn't interested in his position.
After a while, the other Heaven's Magnates left, leaving only the Black Magnate and Gravis behind.
"You surprised me by quite a bit, kid," the Black Magnate said with a snort.
Gravis didn't look at him and only looked at the ground with furrowed brows.
The Black Magnate had already noticed that Gravis was acting weird. In his mind, Gravis should be exhilarated. He should be smiling the entire time. After all, Gravis had reached his goal, right?
Yet, Gravis acted more like a soldier that knew that his empire was about to be destroyed.
It was like Gravis was looking at a dark cloud on the horizon.
The Black Magnate didn't know why Gravis was suddenly acting this way. It didn't fit him at all.
"I need to talk to father," Gravis said quietly to the Black Magnate.
The Black Magnate took note of the subtle hint and snorted. "Fine, but I will get my time with you later. I still want to pay you back for all the surprise and shock you've brought me, okay?"
Gravis only nodded absentmindedly.
The Black Magnate threw one last glance at Gravis before teleporting away.
Now, only Gravis was left above Opposer City.
For a while, Gravis only watched Opposer City below him. It was his birthplace, and he also considered it to be his home.
Yet, for how much longer would it exist?
After some minutes, Gravis slowly flew towards his father's room, phasing through the walls like they didn't exist.
The Opposer was sitting in the same place as always, his eyes closed.
The Economistress stood beside him, smiling at Gravis.
"You've become strong, Gravis," she said with a bright smile. "I can't even throw you around anymore without your consent."
Gravis looked at his mother with a bitter smile. "Thanks, mom," he said.
The Economistress saw Gravis' expression, but she wasn't surprised.
She walked closer to Gravis and slowly pulled him into an embrace. "Now, don't be so glum. You've become a Heaven's Magnate! Isn't that worthy of celebration?"
Gravis reciprocated the embrace, but he didn't say much.
The Economistress only smiled. "Do you honestly believe that I have learned nothing over my long life?" she asked.
Gravis' body shook slightly when he heard that.
"You know about it?" he asked silently.
The Economistress nodded slightly. "When you've lived for as long as me, it's not hard to see the signs. I might not be privy to all the information, but I've known you and your father for a very long time."
"I might not have comprehended all the Laws on my own, but I still know how to tell the emotions of you two."
The Economistress slowly stopped the embrace as she put both her hands on Gravis' shoulders, looking into his eyes.
"I know what's about to come," she said.
Gravis took a deep breath.
Everything had been fine when nobody knew, but as soon as he saw someone that actually knew what was about to happen, it became far more difficult to keep everything suppressed.
"Then, how can you be so optimistic when you know what's coming?" Gravis asked slowly as he looked at his mother.
"Why shouldn't I be?" she asked with a bright smile. "Do you think I have never thought of the future? I've thought of the future for my entire life, and I have been confronted with these thoughts for longer than you have been alive."
"With enough time, you learn to make peace with your future. Waiting for the end is only something you do when you are new to this situation. I'm not new to this situation."
"Besides," she added, "it might sound cruel, but you are also only waiting for the end if you still have some hope."
"When you still have some hope?" Gravis asked.
His mother nodded. "When you see a chance of a brighter future, you seek the end. You worry because you feel like you can do something."
"As soon as you realize that there is nothing you can do, you learn to accept your circumstances."
"I have long accepted my circumstances."
Gravis took another deep breath.
"Why do I feel no resentment coming from you?" he asked. "If you know about it, shouldn't you at least feel a bit of resentment? After all, I still have a choice."
The Economistress slowly shook her head. "It isn't a choice," she said. "I might not have been a Cultivator in the past, but I know what it means to be one. You all seek freedom, and you want to achieve your goal."
"Additionally, the world has remained unchanged for long enough. Staying here isn't bad, but I also wouldn't miss it."
"I've had a long, long life, Gravis," she said. "I've had plenty of children, and all my children live for such a short time that it might as well have been no time."
"We all have our inner troubles, Gravis. I'm not special. I might always appear chipper and happy, but I also have my worries. I have simply learned to live with them."
As the Economistress said that, her voice began to shake a bit.
"I just hope that you manage to get through everything alive," she said as a small tear ran down her right cheek.
Gravis' heart shook, and he immediately pulled his mother close into another embrace.
Gravis felt immense guilt and grief wash over him.
"I'm sorry."
Chapter 1316 – Freedom
Gravis sat in front of his father. Two cups of coffee stood between the two of them.
For a while, the two of them only silently sat like this.
"A lot of time has passed," Gravis said.
"Yes," the Opposer answered. "Even when you were small, you always enjoyed the coffee."
Gravis nodded as a profound feeling of disconnection washed through him.
When he had just been a kid, he had also sat in front of his father like this, drinking the same coffee.
Back then, Gravis had been nervous in front of his father. After all, Gravis had never felt any true love coming from his father. As a child, one might not realize why one was feeling this way, but subconsciously, the children would feel nervous.
Gravis hadn't acted like the Opposer was his father but rather a stranger he needed to please.
There had always been a certain distance between them.
That was also why Gravis addressed the Opposer as father.
In comparison, Gravis had always been close with his mother, which was also why he had been addressing her as mom.
Only when Gravis had become older did he truly understand his father's trouble. Additionally, his father had also changed quite a bit.
Gravis had already heard that he had once had a younger sister called Artemis. From what he had heard, she had decided not to cultivate. So, in the end, the Opposer made her an Immortal Emperor, and she died when it was time for her tribulation.
Ever since then, the Opposer and his wife hadn't had any additional children.
At this moment, the Opposer only had three living children.
Zero's Essence, Orpheus, and Gravis.
Everyone else had already died.
Gravis was the youngest living child of the Opposer.
When Gravis' mind went to these thoughts, a cold feeling of oppression came over him.
He hoped his father would be able to have more children in the future.
However, it wasn't a certainty.
"How do you feel about everything?" Gravis asked silently as he looked at his coffee.
The Opposer remained quiet for a while, which was very rare. The Opposer's answers often came very quickly or not at all.
"It's difficult," he said slowly.
Gravis only looked at his father.
"I would be lying if I said that I've only fathered children because I wanted a family. Obviously, one of my main motivators has been the creation of someone that I can train and back without any issues," he explained.
"There are certain unspoken rules of conduct between the old bastard and me. As long as none of us go too far, we don't fight. If I were to grab a random talented child off the street and back them with everything, the old bastard would kill them. However, if they are my own child, I can defend my actions. After all, I am their father."
"It's been 50 billion years," the Opposer said slowly. "I've fathered thousands of children, but none of them had ever shown anything that might break the mold. Yes, there have been some that have shown talent befitting of a Heaven's Magnate, but I needed more than that."
"I needed something that no one has ever achieved before. Something that throws the old bastard's plan to the side, even if only for a moment. I needed someone that can be pushed past the Heaven's Magnate Realm without incurring any attack by the old bastard."
The Opposer looked at his son. "You've come very far, Gravis, but there is one thing you can't forget."
"The old bastard can still decide to kill you. He can do it now, and I wouldn't be able to properly defend you since I would be busier with protecting myself."
"When you create your Cosmos, he can still do it."
"When he is strengthening you in the Heaven Breaker Realm, he can still do it."
"If you truly want to achieve your goal, you have to keep that in mind," the Opposer said with a heavy voice. "You can only achieve your goal if you go all the way."
"Emotional attachments will result in you either aborting the process or dying."
Gravis took a deep breath.
"And you are fine with that?" Gravis asked.
Silence.
"It's difficult," the Opposer said again. "If you had asked that question ten million years ago, I would have answered in no time. I wouldn't have cared about the price."
"But now, things are different," the Opposer said as he put his cup of coffee down. "There are two choices, and I'm not fine with either of them."
"You must understand, Gravis. I have been in this situation for far too long. Even my tenacity has a limit. At some point, my Cosmos will kill me," the Opposer said heavily.
Gravis lightly nodded. "I understand, father. I know that it has been extremely difficult for all of you."
Silence.
For a while, none of the two spoke.
"What if I don't go through with it?" Gravis asked.
"I would still support you," the Opposer said. "Never forget that this is your life. I never forced you into anything, and I have always supported your choices. That didn't change, and it won't change."
"If you don't want to do it, you don't have to. As I've said previously, my enemies don't need to be your enemies. My fight is not your responsibility."
"I'm certain that I can get eternal life for your immediate family without a problem. As long as you don't attempt to reach the next Realm, the old bastard won't make it too difficult."
"You can spend an eternity in this Cosmos with your family. If you decide to do so, I won't fault you."
"However, all of that doesn't matter. After all, this isn't what you want."
Gravis only looked to the side with a distant expression.
"I don't know what I want anymore," he said. "I want to see the wider world, and I want to see new things. I want to go out with Stella to look through all the Cosmoses. However, I also want you and mom not to worry."
"In the past, I might not have seen the second option as something bad. However, as I am now, I realize how horrible it is to be confined to this Cosmos, and you two have been imprisoned here for such a long time."
"Would I be fine with leaving you behind in this cage while I leave?"
"Of course not."
Silence.
"I have to try," Gravis said. "I don't see any way of success, but I have to try at least."
The Opposer looked at his son. "Even if you have to pay the ultimate price?"
Gravis sighed. "I don't want to pay the price. I really don't. If there were anything I could do to avoid it, I would."
Gravis' brows furrowed.
"Yet, the choice is not up to me."
For a while, Gravis only remained silent.
"Father, do you think our dream can become a reality?" Gravis asked.
"I wish it could," the Opposer answered. "I would be fine with letting the old bastard survive if it meant that you wouldn't have to pay the price."
"Sadly, this is only a dream."
"We four have been living in a dream for over nine million years now, and we have all collectively acted like the dream is reality."
"Yet, no matter how much we act like it is reality, it isn't."
Gravis only looked to the side while his father talked.
"I don't want to," Gravis said.
"I know," the Opposer answered.
"But I have to," Gravis said.
"You don't have to," the Opposer answered.
Gravis sighed.
"Orthar's definition of freedom is not my definition of freedom," Gravis slowly said. "I think Manuel was right. Freedom is not doing what you want but being able to choose which choice you are going to make."
"In the end, freedom is not a concept that one person decides the meaning of. The meaning of freedom is what we decide."
"And in my definition of freedom, I can make whatever choice I want."
"Even if I don't want to make it."
Silence.
The Opposer didn't answer Gravis.
"I won't run anymore," Gravis said.
"The sooner we get this over with, the better."
As Gravis said that, his surroundings shook with a reverberation of Laws.
Gravis just comprehended the Law of the Cosmos.
Chapter 1317 – What Is a Cosmos?
What is a Cosmos?
That was a very difficult question to answer. After all, a Cosmos was something very different to different kinds of people.
Most Cultivators weren't able to tell the difference between a Cosmos and a world. A Cosmos was just another word for a world, right?
A world included the Laws of Time, Space, Gravity, Matter, Elements, and all the nuances of living beings. A world already included everything.
A Cosmos didn't add anything on top of that.
Their definition was correct.
For them, it didn't make a difference.
The concept of a world already encompassed everything they had ever known. A world was their entire life.
What did more powerful people think about what a Cosmos was?
It was a more powerful world.
By knowing the Law of the True World and knowing the Law of Energy, one would be able to build a Cosmos. So, logically, a Cosmos was just a world with more power.
Their definition was also correct. In a way, a Cosmos was just a more powerful version of a world.
If the Primordial Chaos could think, what would it think what a Cosmos was?
It would think that a Cosmos was a domain.
A Cosmos could block out forces it didn't like and allow in forces it supported. It could block out Death and all the other forces that comprised the Primordial Chaos but let Energy through.
What would the Primordial Chaos think a world was?
A place where Energy could safely undergo transformations without being attacked by the other forces.
A Cosmos was a construct of Energy that defended a world from the Primordial Chaos while simultaneously siphoning power from it.
That definition was also correct. After all, this was exactly what a Cosmos did.
What did a Heaven Breaker think about what a Cosmos was?
Them.
It was them.
A Cosmos was simply a superior body.
A body could only absorb so much Energy. A body could only be so powerful. A body could only house a Spirit with a certain level of power.
There was a limit to the natural density of everything.
A normal body would eventually reach these limits.
That's when one needed a Cosmos.
The Cosmos was the actual body of a Heaven Breaker.
In essence, the Heaven Breaker would renounce their old body and make their Cosmos their new body. They would be far bigger than before, which would allow them to gather far more Energy and power in the process.
With a Cosmos, they could also travel the Primordial Chaos without any fear. Their Cosmos would filter out all the dangerous forces while absorbing all the Energy.
If someone without a Cosmos entered the Primordial Chaos, all the different forces would destroy them.
The Primordial Chaos was endless, and even if it needed billions or trillions of times more Death to kill the Cultivator, it wouldn't make a difference.
The Primordial Chaos was infinite.
If a Cultivator didn't have a Cosmos, they couldn't siphon power out of the infinite well of pure power that was the Primordial Chaos.
What did a Heaven Breaker think a world was?
Generator for power.
Since the Heaven Breaker was the Cosmos, they could use everything inside their Cosmos. After all, it belonged to them, and it was inside them.
However, to become more powerful, one needed more living beings.
Why?
First of all, living beings naturally condensed Energy. Increasing the density of Energy also needed Energy. In comparison, living beings would slowly work on their own density of Energy. After all, the more Energy they had inside them, the more powerful they became.
Second, Spirits could be used as a medium to channel Laws and concepts. The Heaven Breaker had an incredible amount of concentration, but by using the gathered Spirits of all their living beings, they could unleash even more power.
Third, life begets life. Life would continue multiplying, which would put the cost of Energy of creating new life on the shoulders of the parents. The parents would lose part of their power to create a child, but they would very quickly regather it simply by existing.
With life, more Energy entered the Cosmos, which would fill the worlds with more Energy, which would support more living beings, which would pull in more Energy, and so on.
So, to summarize, to a Heaven Breaker, a Cosmos was them, and a world was their power generator.
Then, what about the human form of a Heaven Breaker?
That was simply a point of connection and a medium.
A Cosmos was so big that it could only move around in the Primordial Chaos. It couldn't just enter another Cosmos.
So, to enter another Cosmos, one needed a smaller representation of a Cosmos. The human body would only have as much power as such a small body could have, but it would have access to the entire Cosmos.
This was also why the human body was a medium for a Heaven Breaker. A Cosmos could unleash its power in the Primordial Chaos without a problem, but if it wanted to unleash its power in another Cosmos, it would need a medium.
That was the human body.
At this very moment, the Opposer's body only had as much Energy as a normal Heaven's Magnate. After all, that was the maximum density one could achieve with Energy.
However, the Opposer also had access to his entire Cosmos.
In the Primordial Chaos, time and space didn't matter. After all, time and space were creations of Orthar.
In the Primordial Chaos, everything was everywhere all the time.
Therefore, the Opposer could use the power of his Cosmos in an instant inside Orthar's Cosmos. It wouldn't be any different than if the Opposer's Cosmos were inside Orthar's Cosmos.
The only difference was the access point.
Orthar would only need to defend himself from a single 3D access point in the shape of a human, while Orthar could attack that access point from anywhere.
When talking about death in the Heaven Breaker Realm, one wouldn't talk about the death of the access point. No, killing a Heaven Breaker meant either destroying their Cosmos or destroying their will.
The Opposer's body inside Orthar's Cosmos was an access point, but it could go both ways.
The Opposer could attack Orthar via that access point, but Orthar could also attack the Opposer.
If Orthar managed to destroy the Opposer's will, he could use the access point to pull the Opposer's Cosmos towards his Cosmos and absorb it.
So, why was the Opposer trapped?
Because he didn't allow the connection between their Cosmoses to close.
If the Opposer decided to kill off his human body, it would be like leaving the channel open without a guard.
This was what a Cosmos was.
A Cosmos was a Heaven Breaker, and Gravis knew that, which was how he had been able to comprehend the Law of the Cosmos that quickly.
If one didn't know what a Cosmos was or what the Primordial Chaos was, it would be far more difficult to comprehend the Law.
However, since Gravis knew all this, it hadn't been very difficult for him to comprehend the concept of a Cosmos.
In fact, Mortis also knew that which meant comprehending the Law of the Cosmos also wouldn't be very difficult for him.
However, his problem was the Law of Energy.
Mortis couldn't perfectly emulate the mindset of the Avatar of Death, which reduced his closeness to Death.
Mortis definitely had it easier than other Heaven Breakers, but not so easy that he could just comprehend it because he wanted to.
And when Mortis heard that Gravis knew the Law of the Cosmos, he only furrowed his brows.
'You really don't want to wait anymore?'
Chapter 1318 – Vacation
When Mortis heard that Gravis comprehended the Law of the Cosmos, he was beside Azure. They had been together for quite some time.
Azure was currently focusing on learning the Law of Humility, which wasn't easy. However, with Mortis' help, it became far easier.
Not many people could tell the different moods Mortis was currently under due to his introverted personality, but Azure could.
She had noticed that Mortis had started to act strangely a couple million years ago. However, by now, so much time had passed that this newer version of Mortis was already the normal Mortis to her.
Maybe she realized that Mortis was acting strange, or she simply accepted that this was the new Mortis. Nobody knew.
Azure didn't like to think about such complex things. She liked thinking about stuff she could see and hear, not stuff that she couldn't perceive with any of her senses.
The couple of days after Mortis had heard about Gravis, he had seemingly changed out of nowhere.
He smiled more, laughed more, and joked more.
Azure welcomed the change, and she enjoyed spending time with Mortis even more.
Azure stopped cultivating for a while when Mortis practically dragged her across the entire world. They were visiting the places outside the Core Regions, and they were even visiting other worlds.
As a Heaven's Magnate, it wasn't very difficult for Mortis to go to other worlds. He only had to control his power so that he didn't accidentally destroy these lower worlds.
They had even wanted to visit the world Azure had been born in, but that world had been abandoned by Orthar. He had simply broken it down into Energy.
However, the other middle world, the one Azure had gone to, was still there, and Azure led Mortis around to see everything.
Sure, a lot of time had passed, but a couple of landmarks were still there. Additionally, with the Law of Time, they could see how it had once been. They could also watch what Azure had been doing in the past.
Azure showed Mortis her life.
Now, it was like Mortis had always been with her.
Then, Azure showed Mortis her life in the higher world.
In the end, Mortis decided to also show his life in the higher world.
When Azure saw the young Mortis, she was shocked.
He had changed so much!
From an external standpoint, one might think that Mortis hadn't changed by much, but that was a misperception.
Mortis was more in tune with his emotions.
He wasn't constantly bitter.
He wasn't constantly cold.
Maybe one thought that Mortis was still bitter and cold, but that was only because of Mortis' direct and honest answers. Mortis always directly said what he felt, even when he didn't want to hurt the other side.
Azure and Mortis spent the next 300,000 years just visiting everything. They went to many different worlds, and they went to as many places as they could in the highest world.
They watched how mortals lived in different places and in what different ways the Cultivators cultivated in these places.
They also saw the paths that didn't lead to supreme power.
Everyone that managed to reach the Star God Realm was cultivating the path that led to supreme power. After all, everyone that didn't would never reach this Realm.
There were people that didn't focus on Laws.
There were people that cultivated by consuming their own family.
There were people that cultivated by receiving power and Laws from deities, which were basically just more powerful Cultivators.
There were even some people that fused with some strange shadow beasts. The shadow beasts would augment their powers, but the person would need to feed them Energy.
Azure and Mortis saw so incredibly many different paths to power!
They hadn't even known that there were that many!
Sadly, different paths had different ceilings. At some point, it was simply no longer possible to cultivate further on these paths.
Maybe one's will or Spirit became too powerful for one's body.
Maybe one needed to continually pay a cost in Energy to keep their power alive, and at some point, the cost would become equal to the natural absorption of the Cultivator.
Maybe their way to comprehend Laws was very useful early on, but later it would take so long to comprehend Laws that they would all die before comprehending them.
Different paths had different problems.
Only the classic path of Cultivation could push one towards the Star God Realm and higher.
After their journey, the two of them returned to their home.
For the next 50,000 years, they spent their time together until one fateful day.
It was Gravis' ten-millionth birthday!
And since Mortis shared Gravis' memories, it basically was also his ten millionth birthday!
Also, only a couple thousand years separated them. So, it didn't really matter.
Everyone except Narcissus gathered and talked.
It had been a long time since everyone had been at the same place, and they all had a lot to talk about.
They talked with each other for a couple years and had a great time until eventually leaving.
Then, a couple of days after the birthday party, Mortis vanished.
He simply said that he would be back soon and that Azure shouldn't worry.
Mortis teleported to an isolated place, and his expression immediately fell into solemnity.
For a long while, Mortis didn't say anything as he was surrounded by silence.
Then, Mortis looked at the sky.
Lastly, he looked at Azure for a while.
As a Heaven's Magnate, Mortis' Spirit Sense was outside Azure's perception ability.
After a long time, Mortis looked away again.
"Let's get this over with," he seemingly said to himself.
"What point is there in protecting my talent at this point? It doesn't matter," Mortis said.
"Do you believe you will die?" someone said in front of Mortis.
Mortis didn't even look at the person.
Mortis didn't answer.
"You won't," the person said.
Mortis didn't answer.
"Just get this over with," Mortis said. "I don't have a choice anyway."
"You do. Time is on my side, Mortis. If you don't want to do it, you don't have to. I don't mind either way," the person said.
Mortis only looked at him.
"If that's your choice, fine," the person said after a while.
When he left, a couple of Law Comprehension Life Fruits were left in front of Mortis.
They were for the Law of Energy.
Mortis took one and looked at it.
He hated looking at it.
This fruit represented his inevitable destiny.
However, there was no longer any point in delaying the inevitable.
He would meet his destiny head-on!
Mortis took a bite.
Chapter 1319 – Goodbye
Gravis was in his home with Stella. Gravis had never actually needed a home since he had been living everywhere basically, but ever since he had become a Peak Divine God, he had decided to build one for himself and Stella.
Their home was near Opposer City for many reasons.
First of all, this was where Gravis' family lived.
Second, Opposer City was the largest city in the world, and it was always nice to live near a city.
Third, it was easy to teleport to everywhere else from Opposer City. The Teleportation Formation Arrays had strengthened connections to Opposer City.
Lastly, Opposer City was in the very center of the world, which meant that it was near basically everything else.
Gravis and Stella were living every day as it came. Stella focused on her Laws quite a bit while Gravis stayed near her.
Gravis didn't need to comprehend any more Laws since he knew the Law of the Cosmos. He could essentially just wait for the fateful day.
So, when would the fateful day arrive?
…
Tomorrow.
Mortis had told Gravis that he was ready to condense his Cosmos.
Gravis wasn't surprised that Mortis had comprehended the Law this quickly. After all, Mortis' talent for comprehending more Laws outside had become relatively irrelevant.
Gravis knew that.
Mortis knew that.
And Gravis knew that Mortis knew that.
Just today, Mortis had contacted Gravis and told him that he wanted to condense his Cosmos tomorrow.
When Gravis heard that, he became nervous, and an oppressive feeling washed over him.
However, he also realized that this decision was probably even harder for Mortis. So, Gravis decided not to complain.
Staying in this limbo forever also wasn't desirable. It might as well have been torture.
The last couple of years with Stella had felt unreal to Gravis.
Gravis wasn't in the mood for laughing, joking, and smiling, but he did so regardless. After all, he didn't want to worry Stella.
Yet, he also couldn't shake off the feeling that Stella was acting the same way. She was chipper, loving, and joked constantly. However, Gravis felt that it was empty.
It was like both of them were living an illusion for the other.
On the last day, the two of them spent their time together. Gravis didn't tell Stella anything, but she could feel it.
She knew that Gravis was about to do something very important.
For the last night, the two of them only silently held each other.
They simply enjoyed each other's presence.
A night of silence passed.
When the morning arrived, Gravis slowly stood up, his expression serious.
Stella saw Gravis act like this, and it hurt her.
Her entire being was shouting at her that she had to stop him!
She felt like she had to grab hold of him, or she would lose him forever!
Her body shook slightly, but she hid it behind a smile.
"You're going?" she asked.
Gravis only nodded.
Silence.
"Will you be back?" Stella asked as her heart beat frantically.
Silence.
"I don't know," Gravis answered after a while.
When Stella heard that, her eyes began to water.
Having suspicions was one thing, but hearing it directly was something else.
"Why?" she asked.
Silence.
"I can't abandon my goal," Gravis said. "With you by my side, I can have an eternity of happiness. However, I will also feel stifled in this Cosmos."
"I want to go outside."
"I want to see the world outside this Cosmos."
Stella only looked at Gravis with a worried expression.
"Will you?" she asked.
For a while, Gravis didn't answer.
"I don't know," he said. "However, if I don't try, I will forever regret it."
Then, Gravis turned around and looked at Stella.
"I'm sorry, Stella," he said. "I'm really, really sorry."
When Stella heard these words, it was like Gravis' reality was splitting off from her reality.
She was losing him!
Yet, she didn't interrupt Gravis.
"I have always desired freedom and happiness in my life," Gravis said. "You have given me happiness, and you are all that I need for happiness. I don't need power or status or whatever. I only need you."
"If it only involved us two, I would never leave. I don't want to leave!"
Gravis sighed.
"Yet, it isn't only you. Every day I remain like this, father comes closer to his death. I can't give you specifics, but father has been slowly dying over a long period of time, and if I don't do something, he will eventually vanish."
"He has been fighting for his freedom for much longer than me. If I already feel this stifled after only five million years, how does he feel after 50 billion years?"
"Also, it isn't only him. There's also Arc," Gravis said with a sigh. "Arc will eventually also succumb to his fate. He has spent ten billion years in a prison, and he has only been granted marginal freedom for a couple million years."
"Lastly, it's because of all of you," Gravis said. "You are all doomed to die sooner or later. Not cultivating means death. Cultivating means death."
"Everything leads to death."
If Gravis had said these things a couple million years ago, Orthar would have most likely killed him. After all, Gravis was essentially unveiling Orthar's method of running his Cosmos.
However, at this point, it didn't matter anymore.
Gravis could even talk about the Brand if he wanted.
It wouldn't matter anymore.
When Stella heard that, it was like reality was breaking apart.
"Death?" she asked in shock.
"Yes, all paths lead to death," Gravis said. "If you are weak, you will be killed by others. If you are strong, you will be harvested by Heaven."
"All the Heaven's Magnates are just ripe crops to Heaven. They are only there to draw in more Energy."
"Stella, if I don't go, you will eventually be harvested by Heaven, and even if Heaven grants you eternal life, it won't extend the same courtesy to Arc and father, not that they would want it. They are not interested in eternal life but in freedom."
"For an eternity, the Cosmos has remained the same."
"Nothing has ever changed."
"But now, for the first time, the Cosmos can be changed."
"Fate can be changed."
"And I am the key," Gravis said with a solemn voice. "Mortis and I are the only two people that can change the Cosmos. We can allow you all to break out of this cage."
"That's why I have to go," Gravis said.
Silence.
"Even if it costs your life?" Stella asked silently.
Silence.
"There's no other choice," Gravis said with a shaky voice.
Then, he turned around.
"Goodbye Stella."
"Find someone that loves you as much as I love you."
SHING!
After Gravis spoke these words, he vanished.
For a while, Stella only looked at the empty place in shock.
Then, she broke down.
Chapter 1320 – We Can Begin
It was difficult.
It was so difficult.
Gravis nearly broke down after he teleported away.
He didn't want to go!
But he had to!
Gravis couldn't bring himself to throw another look at Stella. Seeing her like this would break him.
At this moment, Gravis decided that it was the wrong time to feel emotional. He had to keep his head clear for the future.
Maybe, there was a chance to pull everything around.
Maybe, there was a chance that things wouldn't go the way he knew they would go.
The chance was incredibly minuscule, but it was there.
Maybe, the dream was actually reality.
Maybe, he didn't have to wake up.
So, in the end, Gravis did something he hadn't done in a long time.
He suppressed his emotions with the Law of Apathy.
He couldn't allow any distractions.
He had to be cruel to everyone else at this moment.
By leaving Stella like this, he had done something incredibly cruel.
And Gravis knew that he would do something even crueler soon.
As Gravis flew to the destined location, he looked at the world with emotionless eyes. Even though Gravis was doing his best to suppress his emotions with the Law of Apathy, he still couldn't help feeling a bit emotional.
Ironically, knowing all the Emotional Laws made it harder to go to the extreme of one emotion.
Why?
Because Gravis already knew everything about them, and he knew how beautiful emotions could be.
As Gravis looked at the world, he couldn't be sure what would survive.
Would his friends survive?
Would Opposer City survive?
Would the Peak Sects survive?
Would The Heaven Company survive?
Gravis wished that they all could.
This was his homeworld, and Gravis didn't want it to be destroyed.
However, the choice wasn't up to him.
If it were up to him, everything would simply go as discussed. Gravis and Mortis would keep the Opposer from killing Orthar, and Orthar would eventually let them leave with their loved ones.
It would be so great if everything would happen this way.
Yet, the choice wasn't up to him.
After some hours, Gravis left the highest world, nothing difficult for someone that knew the Law of the Cosmos.
Gravis found himself in the void between worlds.
The void between worlds was an empty space inside Orthar's Cosmos. Outside Orthar's Cosmos was the Primordial Chaos, and the void between worlds was simply the space between the worlds.
There was no Primordial Chaos here.
There was no Energy here.
There was only space, time, and gravity.
Nothing else.
Gravis quickly found Mortis hovering in an isolated location in the void between worlds.
Orthar stood beside him.
Gravis went over and stopped beside them.
He didn't say anything.
They didn't say anything.
There was nothing to talk about.
All of them knew what would happen.
Now, three of the four people were present. Only the Opposer was missing.
Back in the highest world, the Opposer noted that everyone had gathered.
Then, the Opposer looked at his wife, who sat beside him, drinking tea.
After a bit, he stood up.
"Oh? Are you leaving?" she asked with a smile.
"Yes," the Opposer said.
"Is it already time?" the Economistress asked.
Silence.
"Yes," the Opposer answered.
"Oh, then good luck, and have fun!" the Economistress said as she gave the Opposer a small embrace.
The Opposer reciprocated and hugged his wife.
For a while, he didn't say anything.
"I love you," he said with a deep voice.
"I know," she said with a smile. "I love you too."
Silence.
"Are you fine with everything?" he asked.
"Yep," she answered with a bright smile. "It's been great. We've had a big family. Nearly all of our little darlings are no longer here, but it was still great to spend time with them and, of course, also with you."
Silence.
"Do you regret becoming my wife?" the Opposer asked after a while.
"No, silly," the Economistress answered with a laugh. "Ever since I have decided to be with you, I knew that this day would come."
"I know that I have been created by Heaven. I know that I am subject to Heaven's will. It can't control me with you present, but it can still decide my life and death."
The Economistress took the Opposer's head in her hands and made him look at her.
"I knew that as soon as you two would fight each other again, I would be the first one to die."
"I've made my peace with it."
"And, to be honest, it has taken far longer than I had anticipated. 50 billion years. That's a long time, you know?" she said.
"I've lived for long enough, and I don't regret the life I have lived."
The Opposer remained silent for a while.
"If I had a choice, I wouldn't go down this path," the Opposer said. "In the past, I wouldn't have hesitated, but I have changed."
"If it were up to me, I wouldn't want to kill the old bastard. As long as he can let you go with me, I would be fine with burying the hatchet."
"However, the choice isn't up to me," the Opposer said.
When his wife heard that, her eyes began to tear a bit. However, she still kept her smile on her face.
"Funny. I thought that I would be able to let you go without crying," she said with a bitter laugh. "However, things don't always go as planned, do they?"
The Opposer embraced his wife again.
"I love you."
"I don't want to lose you."
The Economistress only smiled while tears fell down her eyes. "I know," she said.
After some minutes, the Opposer let this wife go.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry that you have chosen such a selfish husband."
"I will miss you."
"Goodbye."
The Economistress smiled brightly as tears ran down her cheeks.
"I wish you a happy life."
SHING!
And the Opposer teleported away.
A moment later, the Opposer appeared in front of Orthar, Gravis, and Mortis with a serious and cold expression.
"We can begin," he said.