The three of them returned to the Purist Sect, and Liam left.
Meanwhile, Stella and Gravis went back to their house in the Purist Sect.
They hadn't talked much on the way back since they hadn't much to talk about.
However, as soon as they entered their home…
Crash!
Stella collapsed!
Gravis looked with shock at Stella and inspected her thoroughly with his Spirit Sense.
Yet, nothing was wrong.
"Gravis," Stella said weakly as she took heavy breaths.
"What's going on?" Gravis asked nervously.
"I have been afflicted with a deadly poison," she said.
Gravis narrowed his eyes.
"By whom?" he asked coldly.
"Ehm," Stella hesitated. "I didn't notice them. They just threw this nasty poison at me and left."
Gravis lifted an eyebrow. "So, you're saying there's someone powerful enough that can hide from you and inflict you with a poison, even though the Ancestor of the Nine Elements Sect and Liam were right beside you?" he asked.
"Yes," Stella answered, becoming red in the face. "However, their identity is not important. What's important is that you need to cure the poison."
Gravis blinked a couple of times without amusement.
He didn't buy that story at all.
"And what am I supposed to do?" Gravis asked with a lifted brow.
"The poison is called the Nine Springs Rose," Stella said, "and it's a poison that only works on women. It needs the essence of a man to be healed. Gravis, you must help me, or I will die!"
Gravis was a bit taken aback.
Some seconds of silence passed.
"Is this some kind of new roleplaying?" he asked.
Stella didn't answer and became a bit red in the face.
Gravis nodded solemnly.
"I understand," he said with seriousness. "I am still a pure, young man, and I have never been with a woman before. Yet, for my lady's sake, I am willing to sacrifice my virginity."
"You're lucky I'm magnanimous!"
Stella had to hold back her laughter.
And with this, another age of happiness and love started between Stella and Gravis.
Obviously, Stella had been joking.
She had read some stories in her downtime, and she thought the idea of such aphrodisiac poisons to be so incredibly stupid that she wanted to act out this fantasy with Gravis.
As Gravis spent more time with Stella, the reality that he was now the most powerful being in this world hit home.
There was really no one but Arc left.
Usually, when Gravis had become the most powerful being in a world, he would leave quickly.
Yet, this time, he remained.
It felt weird.
The entire world felt weird.
It was like the entire world was Gravis' home now.
After all, Gravis felt everywhere to be as safe as his own home.
Peak Immortal Emperors?
They were nothing but some cute animals that lived in his garden.
On top of that, Gravis also held no fear for Stella.
She was more powerful than Sect Masters, making her one of the most powerful beings in the world.
When this feeling of safety appeared in Gravis' heart, it transformed into a concept.
BOOOOM!
Gravis had comprehended the level six Law of Safety!
Yet, Gravis wasn't sure if he should feel happy or not.
Sure, comprehending another level six Law was great, but with every Law Gravis comprehended, he came one step closer to his fight with Arc.
'I'm only missing the level six Law of Control,' Gravis thought, unsure of what he should feel. 'When I know that Law, I will be able to condense the level seven Law of Sentience.'
'At that point, the Gate of Death awaits.'
Right now, Gravis stood somewhere in the Purist Sect, just watching Cultivators trying their luck on the new Form Law Stone.
'When I saw the Gate of Death, going into it felt so distant. It was like the Law of Sentience had been so very far away.'
'Yet, here I am now, so close to comprehending the Law of Sentience.'
'Only the level six Law of Control is missing.'
'I don't even know what Mortis is doing.'
Gravis had contacted Mortis some time ago, asking him what he was doing. After all, there was no emotional connection between them anymore, making Gravis a bit uneasy subconsciously.
It was like someone that had always been standing beside him now stood behind a wall. Gravis could walk around the wall and see them, but he couldn't be sure anymore if they still existed when the wall was between them.
Of course, such a worry was a bit irrational. After all, it was normal that humans didn't always see each other 24/7.
Gravis knew that, which was why he was keeping himself in check when it came to contacting Mortis.
Mortis would also want to use his newfound emotional freedom, right?
Whenever Gravis contacted Mortis, Mortis would reply in short sentences.
Apparently, he was concentrating on comprehending Laws, and he didn't want Gravis to continually interrupt him.
Gravis said sorry and cut off the connection.
This incident had happened 30,000 years ago, and Gravis hadn't contacted Mortis since.
Gravis wanted to contact Mortis, but he didn't.
Mortis had said that he didn't want to be interrupted, and Gravis respected his wishes.
Mortis was an adult, and Gravis had to respect his wishes.
Mortis was more than old enough to know how he should live his life.
After a total of 45,000 years, Mortis and Gravis talked to each other again.
Surprisingly, it was Mortis that had initiated the conversation.
"I've comprehended the last Mixed Elemental Law," Mortis said to Gravis one day.
"Oh? Already?" Gravis asked. "Has so much time already passed?"
"It's been 45,000 years," Mortis said evenly.
"45,000 years," Gravis repeated with a complex expression. "It doesn't feel that long. Ever since I've gone through a million years of Nira's life, time seemingly passes way faster. It's weird and also a bit sad, actually. After all, time wouldn't pass this quickly if I didn't have an extra million years of memories."
"Oh wow, poor you," Mortis answered with a seething sarcastic voice.
Gravis' brows furrowed. "What's up with you? You have been acting weird ever since you gained your emotional freedom! I nearly don't recognize you anymore."
Mortis remained silent for a second.
"Are you so dependent on feeling my emotions that you aren't able to trust in my personality as soon as you are cut off from them?" Mortis asked coldly.
Gravis raised an eyebrow.
That was actually a good argument.
He had a personality profile of Mortis in his mind, and such a sentence perfectly fit into Mortis' profile.
Was it truly only his imagination?
'It's possible,' Gravis thought as he scratched his chin. 'I've always been able to constantly know what Mortis was feeling and thinking. So, when that information is suddenly hidden, it's bound to happen that his actions and words will surprise me occasionally.'
'I shouldn't immediately jump to conclusions just because Mortis said something that sounds weird to me.'
"Yeah, you're right, sorry," Gravis answered with a sigh. "I'm just so unused to talking to you like this. After all, ever since you came into existence, we have always been connected. I should really get used to this."
"No problem," Mortis answered. "Anyway, the Mixed Elements are done. The level six Law of Mixed Emotions also automatically got completed as soon as I comprehended all of them. You should look through the new Laws and get familiar with them."
Gravis nodded. "Sure, thanks. By the way, I think my break was long enough. I'm returning to comprehending some Laws."
"Which ones?" Mortis asked.
"The level six Law of Space and Gravity sound like a good start. Usually, comprehending Space is difficult since you can't really observe it, but that isn't true for us. After all, our Will-Auras can warp and even destroy Space. As long as I don't break the Space around me, I can watch how Space and Gravity change under my Will-Aura."
"Sounds good," Mortis answered. "I'm going to concentrate on the Law of Control."
Gravis grew a bit nervous.
"Law of Control? Do you have a plan on how to comprehend it? Why not look at a Law that's easier to understand, like the level six Law of Matter," Gravis said.
"Gravis," Mortis said with an annoyed and cold voice. "We might not be emotionally connected anymore, but I know you very, very well."
"You can't postpone problems. You have done nothing for a total of 60,000 years. Your drive has become weaker. If you don't get your drive back, you will end up like Orpheus."
"In comparison to you, I want power," Mortis said with disdain.
"Make a fucking decision! Either say you want to achieve power to become free and actually put some effort in it or say that you don't want to progress anymore."
"Right now, you say you want more power, but you're postponing the uncomfortable future problems while doing absolutely fucking nothing!"
"Stop saying you're going to do one thing and then do something else!"
"Because, right now, you're a hypocrite!"
Silence.
Gravis took a deep breath.
These comments had truly stung.
Gravis became furious subconsciously under the barrage of offensive remarks, but he was smart enough to realize that his anger was misplaced.
Why?
Because Mortis was right.
Mortis had been working hard, comprehending more Laws, while Gravis had done nothing.
Sure, he had comprehended the level six Law of Safety, but that had happened accidentally.
He hadn't truly worked for it.
Gravis thought of the Gate of Death and of his fight with Arc.
Then, Gravis gritted his teeth.
"You're right," Gravis said. "Thank you for showing me my own weak determination."
"It's good that you understand," Mortis said with his normal voice.
Gravis nodded. "You go on and comprehend the Law of Control. Starting tomorrow, I will get to the Law of Space and Gravity. If I'm done before you, I will check out the Law of Matter. If you're done before me, I will finish those two Laws."
"And then, as soon as we have our Laws, we will enter the Gate of Death."
"Does that sound ok?" Gravis asked.
"Sounds good," Mortis answered.
With that, their connection was cut again.
Gravis looked at the horizon, his relaxed expression gone.
Only determination was left.
'I can't run from my problems anymore.'
'It's time for the final sprint of this world!'
