Lightning Is the Only Way

A powerful shout went throughout the world, shaking the Formation Array and the surroundings. 

Gravis narrowed his eyes as he changed the trajectory of his spear. Instead of directly aiming for Samantha's head, he angled it down at her neck.

PUCHI!

The spear punched through Samantha's throat, but it didn't decapitate her. As long as a physical connection to the body still existed, an Immortal wouldn't die. 

BZZZZZ!

The spear sparkled with Punishment Lightning as it stuck in Samantha's neck. However, the lightning didn't attack Samantha's body as it only singed the wound surrounding it. 

SHING!

Someone appeared inside the Formation Array as he looked with shock, rage, fear, and nervousness at Gravis and Samantha.

BANG! BANG!

From the outside, one could hear attacks hitting the Formation Array. 

As soon as Gravis saw the new arrival, he came to several conclusions.

This was a Mid Minor Circulation Immortal King, which meant that he was a Sect Master.

He looked very similar to Samantha.

His emotions showed great concern and a deep connection with Samantha.

'So, her father is a Sect Master,' Gravis thought. 'No wonder she managed to get through her life with such a subpar mindset.'

Gravis also noticed even more things.

People were attacking the Formation Array, which meant that this person took control of the Formation Array to keep the others out. This meant that this person was not just an average Sect Master. He was probably one of the more powerful ones.

However, the most important thing that Gravis noticed didn't involve the new arrival but the outside people attacking the Formation Array.

'What a disgusting joke,' Gravis thought with disdain. 'This Formation Array obviously isn't powerful enough to resist the assault of multiple Immortal Kings. They would never waste that much money.'

'This means that they are only putting on a show for righteousness, acting like they want to stop him, even though they don't.'

'Sure enough, I'm amongst humans again.'

As Gravis looked at the new arrival, Samantha recovered her consciousness. She wanted to move out of panic, but a bolt of lightning shot through her body, originating from the spear.

"Don't move, or you will die," Gravis transmitted to her coldly.

Samantha's eyes widened in shock and terror. 

Had she lost?

Ryan, Samantha's father, noticed how his daughter had moved, shook for a second, and stopped moving. His heart was on the brink of breaking.

"Bastard!" Ryan shouted. "Release my daughter at once!"

"Why?" Gravis asked.

"Or I will make you live a life worse than death!" Ryan shouted in rage.

BRRRR!

His surroundings shook with incredible power as they turned red.

'Like father, like daughter, eh?'

BZZZ!

Samantha's body seized again with lightning, shocking Ryan's heart. 

"Stop trying to intimidate me," Gravis said coldly and calmly. "As soon as I see you trying anything, I will kill your daughter."

Ryan's body shook as he didn't know what he should do.

"Gravis!" a voice transmission suddenly came to Gravis. It was Liran. "Sect Masters are forbidden from breaking the Formation Arrays, which is why I can't destroy it. If you can exit the Formation Array, we will be able to protect you."

Gravis sneered. 

'How truly pathetic,' he thought with disgust.

'So, this is your answer, Liran? I followed the Sect's philosophy and did what I wanted, but when confronted with a breach of etiquette, you feel like you can't save me.'

'I know that you don't have any kind of ulterior motive, Liran, and that's why I'm pitying and despising you. Your own mind is so restrained by resources, etiquette, politics, and public conduct that you feel like you can't even do something.'

'You preach about freedom, but you actually have no idea what you are talking about. You grandly think of yourself and your Sect as free, but you are just as suppressed as anyone else in your mind.'

'The Unrestrained Sect shouldn't be called the Unrestrained Sect, but the Restrained Sect.'

Wasn't one of the reasons why Gravis decided to fight Samantha that he wanted to see how the Unrestrained Sect would act if a disciple actually exhibited the values the Sect preached? 

Well, Gravis got his answer.

Liran had the power to immediately decimate the Formation Array and stand in front of Gravis, someone he considered an ally. Liran had been the one that asked Gravis to claim resource points. Yet, Liran wasn't able to step forward and protect his disciple, even though he had the power.

'If you were the Sect Master of any other Sect, I wouldn't have a problem with you, Liran,' Gravis thought. 'Humans take things like politics very seriously, and they often look out for the greater collective. It's just human nature to want to protect one's organization.'

Gravis' eyes narrowed in rage and disgust.

'However, you present yourself as a paragon of freedom, and even worse is the fact that you actually believe your own bullshit.'

In an instant, Gravis' feelings for the Unrestrained Sect had changed drastically. At the very beginning, the Unrestrained Sect looked too good to be true. It had seemed perfect!

Then, some cracks showed themselves when Liran showed that he wasn't willing to do what he wanted to do. 

And now, Liran showed that he would be willing to sacrifice one of his own disciples that he sent out on a mission just to not break etiquette.

Was Liran a shrewd and selfish Sect Master?

No, he was worse!

Liran truly believed what he was saying, not realizing how very different he was from the ideals of the Sect.

Liran wasn't shrewd. 

He was weak!

A shrewd and selfish Sect Master might be a horrible person, but they would still want to increase the power of their Sect, even if it were only for their own ego. The individual disciples in the Sect might suffer under such leadership, but at least the Sect Master was powerful enough to contend with other Sects.

Meanwhile, a mentally weak Sect Master could do nothing.

A strong and kind Sect Master would gain the support of his Sect and bring them to power.

A strong and selfish Sect Master wouldn't gain much support from their Sect, but the Sect would still be considered powerful against outside forces.

A weak and selfish Sect Master wouldn't gain the support of their Sect, and they would quickly be overthrown. The Sect would weaken, but it had a chance of survival and recovery.

A weak and kind Sect Master had the Sect's support, and they wouldn't be overthrown. This will result in the Sect becoming weaker and weaker with time, being stagnated into nonexistence. 

A weak and kind Sect Master was the worst Sect Master imaginable because their weakness would pull everyone down with them. It was a very subtle, deadly poison.

Liran was a weak and kind Sect Master, and the consequences of his weakness could be seen. 

When Gravis had first seen Liran, he had admired him since Liran had been willing to throw his life away to fight Arthur because of his son. Gravis had thought that this was because Liran was confident in his power or that he desired and knew freedom.

However, now, everything appeared different. Gravis had interpreted too much into Liran's actions back then. 

Liran had only lost control over his emotions, not being able to resist them in a moment of crisis. 

The actions were the same, but the intent and reasoning behind the action were vastly different.

As Gravis went through all these revelations, Ryan looked at Gravis with fear and panic as Samantha also looked with terror at her father.

Meanwhile, Gravis was still thinking about the Unrestrained Sect.

'I think the Punishment Cleaver Sect would have been better than the Unrestrained Sect,' Gravis thought. 'At least their Sect Master is powerful, even if he is a dick.'

'This entire Sect is worthless.'