Lightning Is the Only Way

Gravis looked at a dark cave below him as he floated in the sky. The cave seemingly led into nothingness. Not even his Spirit Sense could truly enter it.

This cave led to the Law Comprehension Area for the Law of Humility. Although, it couldn't really be described as a Law Comprehension Area. It was a Heaven's Trial, after all.

However, the concept of a Heaven's Trial included more things than only a trial that killed the weakest Cultivators.

For example, Heaven's Trials could also be set up to teach Cultivators specific Laws by manipulating the world around them.

Physical Laws like the Elements, Life, Matter, and so on could easily be reflected upon physical reality. Creating Law Comprehension Areas for these Laws wasn't really hard.

Yet, how would one teach someone something as elusive as Humility?

How would one even create a Law Comprehension Area for that?

That's where the Heaven's Trials came in. Heaven had full control over the Heaven's Trials, which meant that Heaven could change the entire reality inside it, making the impossible possible.

"Well, I'm going in," Gravis said with a wave. "See you later!"

Stella waved back with a smile. "Don't be gone for too long."

"I won't," Gravis answered with a smile.

Then, Gravis flew directly into the cave.

Was there a chance of death?

Of course.

Heaven's Trials always had a chance of death.

The survival of the participant completely depended on if they were successful in accomplishing the goal of the Heaven's Trial.

The goal of this Heaven's Trial was to comprehend the Law of Humility.

As soon as someone comprehended the Law of Humility, they would be thrown out of the Heaven's Trial.

Yet, if someone failed, they would have to stay in the Heaven's Trial until they either understood the Law or died.

The death rate of this specific Heaven's Trial was at around 40%. It wasn't very high, but it also definitely wasn't low.

However, neither Stella nor Gravis were worried.

Gravis only had to comprehend an Emotional Law, and he already knew four other Laws of this category.

If he couldn't clear this Heaven's Trial, no one could.

As soon as Gravis entered, he felt the world warp around him. It was like he was being transported to a different place.

Gravis' Spirit Sense was also slowly being extinguished, and Gravis even felt his power falling, but he wasn't worried. This was all simply there to set up the Heaven's Trial.

SHING!

Then, Gravis felt like he had opened his eyes, even though they had been open the entire time.

Gravis was no longer in a cave but in a great hall.

On top of that, Gravis was sitting on the highest throne in the hall.

Gravis immediately used his Spirit Sense to check out the surroundings, but he was a bit surprised.

His Spirit Sense was so weak!

Gravis' Spirit Sense barely reached a distance of ten kilometers!

However, his Spirit Sense was at least big enough to allow him to see the surroundings of the hall, and more importantly, his new body.

Gravis was in the body of a middle-aged man with greying hair.

'Early Unity Realm, or in natural middle world terms, level two Lord,' Gravis thought as he noticed his own Cultivation.

'Quite weak,' Gravis thought.

Then, Gravis looked at the other people in the hall.

'But very powerful for these surroundings.'

Gravis had already made a lot of deductions just by looking at the hall and the people.

Gravis was on the highest throne in the hall, and several other people were seated at smaller thrones placed below him. The thrones looked into the middle of the hall, while Gravis' throne basically sat at the tail-end of the imaginable, square table the thrones surrounded.

Twenty older people sat in the thrones. They were all clothed in expensive robes filled with gold. These clothes and the regal aura that every person emitted would drive respect into anyone.

However, the other twenty people were all Spirit Forming Cultivators in the Tree-Stage, except for two.

The last two sat a bit lower than Gravis but higher than the other people.

They were at the Self Stage.

'Judging by the crown on my head and my power, I'm probably the king of this land,' Gravis thought.

'Learning Humility as a King? A bit ironic.'

Gravis covertly tested out his powers and noticed that all his Laws were inaccessible. He still knew all of the Laws, but he wasn't able to affect reality with them. Not even his level one Laws could be used.

"Your Majesty," one of the two Self-Stage Cultivators below Gravis said.

Gravis looked at him.

"You need to make a decision in this matter. How will we proceed from here?" the man asked.

That's when Gravis was assaulted by memories.

All the memories of this king immediately flooded into Gravis' mind at once.

However, Gravis was a Peak Immortal King that had lived for over 200,000 years.

A mere 300 years of memories was nothing to him.

It didn't even make him flinch.

'Interesting,' Gravis thought with a silent smirk.

Right now, Gravis was the ruler over a vast kingdom that spanned over 10,000 kilometers, just as he had thought.

"We won't do anything," Gravis ordered.

The advisors in the hall became nervous. "But your Majesty, the Red-White Kingdom will invade our lands if we don't counterattack now!"

"Then so be it," Gravis said with authority. "Our decisions of the past have brought this war upon us."

Gravis slowly stood up from his throne.

The advisors felt that it became increasingly hard for them to breathe.

It was like their king was somehow… different.

It was like their king had the entire world in the palm of his hands.

Well, in truth, Gravis basically had the world in his hands.

Why?

Because he was the most powerful Cultivator.

Only Unity Realm Cultivators had the prestige to crown themselves king.

Yet, the resources of this land were barely enough to create a single Unity Realm Cultivator. This meant that the Initial Unity Realm was already the most someone could reach.

However, Gravis' new body was the only king in the Early Unity Realm.

Even more, the Will-Aura of Gravis' body was beyond his Realm.

This meant that every single king in the surrounding kingdoms was many times weaker than him.

And the most important part…

Nobody knew that.

The only person in the world that knew of Gravis' true power was Gravis himself.

This king had told absolutely no one about his breakthrough and his Will-Aura.

So, what invasion?

Well, the Red-White Kingdom wanted to take revenge on Gravis' Kingdom.

For what?

About 50 years ago, an unprecedented genius had appeared in the Red-White Kingdom. If nothing unforeseen happened, this genius would reach the Unity Realm at the age of 50, which was insanely young. On top of that, this genius was able to battle nearly two levels above themselves.

The previous personality of Gravis' new body did the only logical thing.

Kill the genius before they could become powerful.

And they had succeeded.

The genius had died, but the Red-White Kingdom had found out who had ordered the assassination, and from then on, the Red-White Kingdom wanted to destroy Gravis' Kingdom.

However, the Red-White Kingdom was not powerful enough to fight a war with Gravis' Kingdom.

So, this enmity remained unavenged for 50 years.

Just a couple hours ago, a devastating piece of intelligence had reached the crown.

The Red-White Kingdom had taken out another Kingdom. On top of that, they had converted all the resources of the other Kingdom to increase the power of their most powerful Cultivators.

In just three days, the Red-White Kingdom would have three Unity Realm Cultivators instead of one.

Gravis' Kingdom had only one Unity Realm Cultivator, and that was himself.

So, a conference was called, and all the important people of the Kingdom had gathered.

They had to strike back before it was too late!

However, Gravis gave his orders and said that they wouldn't do anything, which shocked the advisors.

Was their king dooming them to die!?

"But your majesty-"

WHOOOOM!

Gravis activated his Will-Aura as he glared at the advisor.

"Are you questioning my judgment?"

The advisor could only gulp.

"If you believe that we will die, you are free to leave this land and join the Red-White Kingdom. I won't stop you," Gravis said with an air of authority around him.

The advisors became shocked again.

Did their king just allow everyone to leave the sinking ship without punishment!?

What was going on!?

Gravis gave his orders, sat back down again, and sent the advisors away.

Everyone had said that they would fight to the bitter end, but Gravis had seen through their falsehoods.

By the end of the day, over 50% of the advisors would have abandoned ship.

Gravis got reminded of the end of the River Tribe as he sat alone in his throne room.

Yet, this time, everything was different.

'You want to teach me Humility?' Gravis thought with a smirk.

'I'll show you Humility.'

'I won't strike the opponent until their united force enters this castle. If I attack now, I probably won't be able to get all the important people. Eventually, the survivors will become a threat to my Kingdom.'

'I can't allow that. So, I choose Humility. I will not flaunt my power and will simply continue sitting here like a normal King.'

Gravis chuckled a bit.

'However, when the gathered force of my enemy appears before me, I will strike them all down.'

'Like this, no future problems will rear their head.'

The advisors and other Kings were smart.

Sadly, Gravis had a slight bit more life experience and a bit of an age advantage over them.

How could they compare with the mind of a 200,000-year-old Immortal King?