78 Ego Eternal Path of Power
Cain was shocked to hear those words. The Sacred Organs were the most incredible gift humankind possessed and were what made them rise above beasts and other lower life forms. The Essence Evolution Core and the Astral Rebirth Heart allowed a simple mortal to rise to a level where they could unleash the same power as a weapon of mass destruction.
Access to a third Sacred Organ could only be considered a divine lucky chance, especially if it could achieve synergy with the other two.
Cain focused and made sure to engrave every word of Zarak in his mind.
“Before I tell you about the third Sacred Organ, I would like to know your understanding of willpower and its importance in cultivation.” Zarak’s voice was calm, but there was solemnity in it, making it clear just how important that question was.
Cain did not answer immediately and took a moment to review all the information he had gained up to this point. Only after five minutes did he speak.
“Willpower is related to our mental fortitude and born of the hardship and tribulations a man experiences through his life. It can improve our ability to endure spiritual and mental attacks. And from a certain point of view, it is necessary to endure the long and solitary journey through cultivation.”
Cain’s words made sense and were what most cultivators believe regarding willpower. A practical force for defense against mental attacks and which would make the cultivation path easier.
“WRONG!” Zarak shouted with so much strength that it almost burst Cain’s eardrums.
Cain felt his surroundings tremble, and Zarak’s power again shocked him. There was no Wave fluctuation, yet those sound waves almost made him pass out.
.....
“Your answer is extremely flawed. If willpower only helped us defend against mental attacks and persevere through our cultivation journey, why would we waste so many resources to create the Pillar of Mind?” Zarak took a deep breath as he raised his right hand, and the next second, a massive sphere of Astral Wave emerged on top of it.
Cain was shocked to see the massive sphere of Astral Wave and was sure that if Zarak fired it at him, there would not be a single trace of his body left.
“Focus!” Zarak shouted that word before his eyes glowed with blue light again.
The next second, that sphere of Astral Wave transmuted into raging water streams, and immediately after that, it became a blazing fireball. It began to change between the five elements at a shocking speed, but that was far from all.
Zarak’s eyes glowed with even greater blue light before that massive sphere morphed into a mighty serpent dragon that flashed through the room.
Cain’s eyes widened as he saw the level of control that Zarak’s had over his Wave, especially over the Wave Art that Astral Rebirth Cultivators found most difficult of all, Wave Transmutation.
Suddenly a sense of enlightenment appeared in Cain as he saw that the mightier Zarak’s control over his Astral Wave became, the more blue light appeared in the eyes of this one.
Cain’s eyes glowed with red light as his Wave Cloak emerged and began to burst with incredible might, instantly reaching 450% Wave Burst and rising faster and faster.
Oliver’s eyes widened as they saw Cain’s actions, and not even the mighty Zarak could hide his shock. With that simple demonstration, the cadet figured out one of the key secrets behind the importance of willpower.
The red light in Cain’s eyes vanished after a few seconds, leaving his Wave Cloak in disarray and reducing the might of his Wave Burst. A sharp pain assaulted his mind, but that did not stop him from smiling as he finally figured it out.
“Willpower can be considered an energy wave born from the soul and can grant you overwhelming control over your Wave!”
The force that saved his life when he faced the Atrox inside the secret trial, allowed him to overcome Dimitri and Nira’s scheme, and granted shocking mastery over the Four Wave Arts was his willpower!
“Hahahaha, not only are you incredibly talented, but your mind is also extremely keen, and with a simple demonstration, you figured it out. You are right. Willpower can allow you to display an incredible mastery over the Four Wave Arts, which would translate into a massive boost in battle power.” Zarak smiled as he uttered those words and was pleased with Cain’s capabilities.
“However, that is just the beginning.”
Zarak made the serpent dragon disappear before raising a single finger and generating a small sphere of Astral Wave.
Cain focused on the sphere and saw it had so little Astral Wave that he could easily form one.
The small sphere of Astral Wave morphed into a fireball. It had so little power that even a Level 1 Wave Warrior could take it head-on.
However, everything changed once Zarak’s eyes glowed, and that blue light began to fuse into that tiny fireball.
That fireball burst with immense power, and just the heatwaves it unleashed forced Cain to trigger his Wave Cloak.
“I can infuse my willpower into the Astral Wave to strengthen any spell or ability. If his willpower is strong enough, a Level 2 Wave Warrior could easily shoot a fireball that could kill a Level 7 Wave Warrior.”
Zarak made the sphere disappear after a second before taking a deep breath.
“Up to this point, I have shown you how your willpower can help your Wave show greater power, but what comes next involves a radical change.”
Cain felt how every trace of Zarak’s Wave vanished, and the blue light in his eyes reached its zenith.
Zarak opened his palm before slowly beginning to close it.
“RUMBLE!”
Cain’s eyes widened as the entire room began to tremble as if an invisible force was crushing it. It did not take long for cracks to form in the walls.
They were in the Titan Tower, a structure that, in theory, should be able to endure the destructive power of a nuclear bomb. Yet, Zarak generated cracks on it by simply closing his fist.
“If your willpower is strong enough, it can affect the world around you, allowing you to display a power that could crush a Peak Wave Champion to a pulp!”
Cain could not hide the awe assaulting his heart. There was no reason for Zarak to lie to him, which meant that if he developed his willpower to a certain point, he would be able to achieve that same level of destructive might.
Zarak relaxed his fist, and the room stopped trembling. His face grew a little pale, making it clear that achieving that level of might by only relying on his willpower was not simple.
“I have shown you the might of willpower, and now I will explain how to train it.” Zarak sent a stream of Astral Wave that formed a giant brain with flaming pathways that crossed every corner of it.
“Everything revolves around the third Sacred Organ. I am talking about the one in our brain, the Ego Eternal Matrix. With it, we have access to the Ego Eternal Path of Power.”
Cain could see that those flaming pathways were intertwined with the brain to such a point that it was impossible to split them apart without destroying both of them.
“In theory, every human has access to the Ego Eternal Matrix, but to activate it, one needs to achieve willpower equal to a Late Wave Champion. Almost everybody needs the help of their Essence Evolution Path of Power or Astral Rebirth Path of Power to improve their willpower to reach that level.”
Cain listened to Zarak’s words attentively, as he knew they were crucial for his future cultivation.
“However, unique cases like yours exist where the Ego Eternal Matrix is activated from birth. That meant that the energy wave unleashed from your willpower was at the Late Wave Champion level from the beginning.
For those that train the Ego Eternal Path of Power, the strength of our willpower takes the name of Ego Wave. Our eyes usually glow with a strange light when we use it.”
Cain saw Zarak and Oliver’s eyes glowed with blue light, making him remember the red light that appeared in his from time to time.
“Although your Ego Eternal Matrix is activated, you have yet to enter the First Realm of the Ego Eternal Path of Power. That is why your Ego Wave acts erratically, and when you use it for too long, your brain is hurt.” Zarak waved his hand, making a crystal card appear before throwing it toward Cain.
Cain focused on the crystal card and found out it had overwhelming information.
“In it, you will find the basis for the Ego Eternal Matrix and Ego Eternal Path of Power. Once you enter the First Realm, I will take you as a core discipline.”
Thrill filled Cain’s heart when he heard that. Having a powerful master was always a good thing.
“For those who focus on the Ego Eternal Path of Power as our primary source of strength, tribulations are not just important but fundamental in our growth. I already spread the news that you are under my protection, so no powerhouse would dare to put his hands on you. Of course, that will only protect you from attacks in the open. You will have to depend on your own strength for the rest.”
After those final words, Zarak signaled for Cain and Oliver to leave.
The duo performed a deep bow toward Zarak before walking back to the teleportation formation.
Zarak’s eyes glowed, and a flash of blue light reached Cain’s body before this one vanished. A meaningful gaze appeared on his face before he returned to his cultivation.