Chapter 41: Principles of Elements

"Oh master, I heard you pointing something to Evelyn about her attack, what was it?" Zen asked.

"Hmm… it's nothing too big, but I think she is not utilizing her full potential for the attacks."

"Oh, Evelyn, could you give us a demonstration?" Zen asked, his curiosity piqued.

Evelyn nodded, summoning a fireball to her hand. With a quick motion, she put her hand behind and sent the fireball blazing towards one of the targets.

"As I mentioned earlier," Shreya approached the target, examining it. "Your attacks are a bit too organized for their own good."

"Master, what does 'organized' even mean?" Evelyn retorted with frustration. She was trying to conjure the most powerful fireball but it was still not enough.

"I might have an idea." Zen stood up, moving closer to Evelyn. Shreya also joined, eager to hear his thoughts. "Evelyn, what's the defining characteristic of the fire element?"

Evelyn tilted her head, placing her index finger on her cheek in contemplation.

'She's adorable!' Zen couldn't help but think, and then he noticed that Shreya was also staring at Evelyn, apparently sharing the same sentiment.

"Destructive and explosive power!" Evelyn replied.

"Exactly! Now, imagine various scenarios where a powerful fireball wreaks havoc inside your mind."

Evelyn closed her eyes following Zen's instructions. Zen approached her, speaking softly.

"As you simulate these fireballs repeatedly, do you notice any consistent form of destruction in those scenarios?"

Shreya's smile widened as she listened.

"No, I mean, these destructions are rando... Ooo!" Evelyn exclaimed, opening her eyes with a slight smile.

"Destruction has no form, right?"

"Exactly!" Zen affirmed with a nod. "Destruction is just destruction. It has no shape or form; it's the end. Fire is the element that brings about destruction—"

"So, I don't need to worry about the shape or form of my attack." Evelyn conjured a new fireball and sent it towards one of the targets.

|BOOMMM| An explosion, much grander than before, reverberated through the ground.

"This was incredible, and the conjuring speed felt at least 30% faster," Evelyn exclaimed cheerfully.

"Thank you, darling." She hugged Zen, who stood beside her.

"Wow! I've been teaching you for days, and this brat, who just said a few lines, gets a thank you?" Shreya asked, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.

"But, master, my guidance did help her, so maybe I'm the better teacher?"

"You want to die, boy?"

"No, thank you very much!" Zen replied promptly.

"Hmph." Despite Shreya's sneer, her mind was processing the events that had just unfolded.

'This disciple of mine is a diamond. Honestly, his perception is just terrifying.' She had seen many people with good perceptions. Even Evelyn was one of the finest she had seen but she couldn't grasp the principle until now.

Every element has some principles that one has to understand as they progress. These principles are not some theoretical formulae that one can be taught. No, everyone has to come to the conclusions by themselves. Not only did one need to form the concrete substance of the principle in their mind, but the meaning of these principles could also be different for different individuals.

Take fire, for example. Its principle, in simple terms, can be said that "there is no form in attack", but this principle can be interpreted in different manners. Some might relate it to the outcome, as Zen and Evelyn did, while for others, it can simply mean that fire, that is, the source itself is formless. Although these principles seemed simple, arriving at these while thinking how it can affect the power is very difficult.

Zen's ability to recognize a principle without even understanding or using the element was nothing short of extraordinary.

"Alright, let's get going." Anna chimed in. She was getting bored between all these cultivators. 

'Just one more month before I get the bloodline.' Hearing everyone talking about cultivation, she was getting really frustrated. She was the only one who didn't have a bloodline.

"Okay, okay. Let's leave," Zen chuckled, noting Anna's restlessness. He was aware that she often felt left out.

"Hmm… you'll encounter new faces at the academy every now and then. Just don't get into too much trouble," Shreya warned.

"Aye ayeee," Zen replied with a grin. "And, master, thank you for today." The trio then departed.

'I did nothing to be grateful for, disciple. You would have crossed that bridge one day.' She thought as she also disappeared from the room.

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The next day, with no classes scheduled, they decided to convene at the training grounds for practice. Zen wanted to share the news with Tanya and James that he could now cultivate.

Zen messaged everyone to meet at the gymnasium by 11 and called Anna. Together, they headed to the gymnasium. On the way, they spotted Evelyn, accompanied by two other girls.

"Evelyn!" Zen called out, walking towards her. Evelyn, in a red top and blue denim shorts, left her hair untied, the wind gently curling it. She looked stunning.

"Darling!"

"Are you guys heading to the gym too?"

"Yes, let's go together," Evelyn smiled. "By the way, this is Christina Rhodes." She gestured towards a blonde girl with bangs of shorter stature. She was wearing a tracksuit. "And this is Hazel Levine, from the Levine noble family." The other girl had a busty body and brown hair in a bob cut. She was also wearing a black top and leggings.

"What Levine noble family? My family is almost a commoner family now," Hazel chuckled as she shook hands with Zen.

Zen reciprocated the handshake and didn't dwell on the topic. "I'm Zen Ashford, and this is my sister Anna Ashford."

Hazel rolled her eyes. "Dude, who doesn't know you?"

"Yup! If they didn't know you before, dating Evelyn already gave you tons of publicity, haha," Christina added. Despite being nobles, these two didn't exude the usual arrogance, earning Zen's favor.

Suddenly, Anna's phone rang. Checking the message from Tanya, she saw they were already at the gym.

"Let's head to the gym. Tanya and James are waiting there," Anna suggested, prompting everyone to move towards the training grounds.

As soon as they reached the gymnasium, they saw a crowd with Tanya and James in the center.

'Sigh. Not a single day without kicking ass.' Zen thought as he shook his head.