Chapter 34: Four Wave Arts

“Those who interrupt me will be disciplined. There will be time for questions at the end of the class. Until then, remain quiet.” Wink spoke with a lazy voice, but no one dared to utter a single word in his presence.

Cain’s eyes could not help but glow as he saw the change in the auditorium. That display of power was better than any speech.

“Now, the basics about the Astral Rebirth Path and Essence Evolution Path of Power.”

The virtual screen above Wink showed two identical humanoid figures. However, one had Wave emerging from his Rebirth Heart while the other emerged from the Evolution Core.

“Astral Wave is known for its brute power and the incredible degree to which it can temper the mortal body. It not only improves your offense and defense but also grants immense stamina and regenerations abilities.”

The virtual screen focused on the man with a dark purple aura. Everybody saw simulations where this one destroyed huge buildings with his hands and resisted the might of tornadoes and other natural disasters with nothing but his bare body.

“Those following this path can fight for much longer than their Essence Evolution counterparts. Wounds that could prove deadly for an Essence Wave Warrior would only leave the Astral Wave Warrior temporarily incapacitated.

.....

The Empire Science Academy stated that Astral Wave Cultivators are stronger than Essence Wave Cultivators. Of course, that is during the battlefield, and in a one-on-one battle, things are not so simple.”

Next, the virtual screen focused on the humanoid with the sky-blue aura.

“People who follow the Essence Evolution Path of Power have an easier path than those that follow the Astral Rebirth Path of Power. For starters, our talent doesn’t need to depend on our Lineage. We can constantly improve it through several methods, the simplest being the perception and understanding of the elements and natural phenomena.”

On the virtual screen, the cadets saw how the humanoid stood in the center of a wildfire, and soon, his Essence Wave began to burn with the same intensity while at the same time growing mightier.

“Essence Wave lacks the physical enhancement and vitality of Astral Wave, but it improves our connection with the Wave in its raw state, allowing us to comprehend it. Not to mention that Essence Wave can mutate into different powers and elements with little effort, unlike Astral Wave.

There is also the fact that Essence Wave Cultivation can use it to fire long-distance attacks, something highly complex for Astral Wave Cultivators.”

That information was something almost every present already knew but was new for Cain. Both Paths of Power had unique qualities, and depending on how you use them, it would determine the battle’s outcome.

Thinking that an Astral Wave Warrior could defeat an Essence Wave Warrior as long as they were at the same level was extremely naive.

Cian saw how the virtual screen above Wink changed for the second time, and now, the humanoids began to fight.

They stood one hundred meters apart. When the battle started, the Essence Wave Cultivator immediately began to shoot fireballs while keeping the distance between him and the opponent.

The Essence Wave Cultivator initially restrained the Astral Wave Cultivator, forcing this one to dodge the fireballs while shrinking the distance. It was hard at the beginning, and some attacks landed, leaving ugly burn wounds.

The Astral Wave Cultivator persevered and reduced the distance to less than three meters. That was nothing, and he could send a blow with ease.

However, the Essence Wave Cultivator stumped the ground at the last second, generating a large wall of fire in front of him that rose for more than ten meters.

Unfortunately for the Essence Wave Cultivator, the Astral Wave Cultivator lunged past the wall, granting him horrible injuries but also giving him the chance to land a devastating blow.

The Essence Wave Cultivator could do nothing, and a punch carrying a horrible power landed square on his chest, sending him flying away while puking blood.

“As you can see, the battle’s outcome was not determined by their Path of Power but by their tenacity. Had the Astral Wave Cultivator not dared to cross the wall of fire, the Essence Wave Cultivator would have had time to put distance between them and give the final blow.”

Wink gave the class a moment to process his words before carrying on.

“For those that follow the Astral Rebirth Path of Power, you must keep in your mind the word foundation. As for those that follow the Essence Evolution Path of Power, remember that the key to advance is your perception.”

After explaining the basics, Wink again modified the virtual screen, and four humanoids appeared this time.

“Now I will explain the Four Wave Arts. You have already come in contact with these arts, and they will accompany you forever. Even god-like life forms like Titan must train them. I am talking about Wave Cloak, Wave Burst, Wave Focus, and Wave Transmutation.”