Chapter 186 - Principle of Maximum Elemental Density

Three months had passed after the terrifying test in the forest. The students of the first academic year had returned to the academy's activities, overcoming that dark period and focusing on their future. The incident involving Feng Gengxin was also soon forgotten as the circumstances behind that incident hadn't been disclosed.

The students only knew that Feng Gengxin, along with his four subordinates, had been expelled for violating the rules imposed by the academy. After his expulsion, everyone understood that it was better not to joke with the rules since even a member of the Eight Big Families had been punished.

Either way, things had returned to normal, or so it should have been. The academy had given way to a new recruiting period, welcoming new students to fill the number of first-year students. It was something that had happened before, but usually, it was just about welcoming one or two highly talented students. It was the first time that had occurred on such a large scale, but this wasn't surprising, considering the high number of deaths among students.

These new students were all those who at the end of the enrollments hadn't reached the required cultivation level, although they were within the required age gap, and now had the qualifications. In addition to these, there were also those who had the minimum necessary level of cultivation but exceeded the maximum age for admission by one year.

The War Academies represented the ideal place for young martial artists to develop themselves, and the Royal War Academies were the best of the best. Although there were differences between the students, some even substantial, it couldn't be denied that just entering it was a status of one's talent. Being a small fish in the ocean was better than being the big fish in the pond. After all, the little fish from the ocean had a chance to turn into a dragon, which the big fish from the pond couldn't even dream of becoming.

Unfortunately, however, the arrival of new students brought about a tense atmosphere in the first academic year. The new arrivals were eager to show off and show everyone their skills. Even though they hadn't been admitted the first time, they continued to train non-stop so that they could be accepted next time. Therefore they didn't believe that there was such an abysmal gap between them and the other students admitted at the beginning.

However, there was also a sort of contempt towards the old students. The news of the forest trial incident had made its way, although the details had remained obscured. However, since lots of students had died, the new arrivals looked down on the old students who had had so many difficulties against mere second-level spirit beasts.

Regrettably, very often, it was difficult to realize the gravity of a situation just by hearing about it. You had to look with your own eyes to recognize the danger, and sometimes this wasn't enough. So the new students considered absurd the idea of ​​dying due to some stupid second-level spirit beasts, and the victims were simply just too weak. That was applied to the survivors who hadn't been able to save their teammates against such enemies.

The tension between the two groups continued to increase gradually in the following three months of academy lessons. However, there was no quarrel or challenge. It is because the system of challenges was suspended until a date to be determined due to the events with Feng Gengxin. The principal had interrogated every teacher in the academy, and although no one had been punished, none of the teachers wanted to make further mistakes. So they decided to stop the challenges for the time being to avoid that another similar incident could happen. Fortunately, the academy year was drawing to a close, and with it came the opportunity for students to settle their unfinished business and decide who was the strongest.

"As you know, today there will be the last lesson on combat theory. The other lessons will also end. It doesn't mean, however, that the academic year is over. At the end of each year, a final test will be assigned to the three academic courses. It allows the academy to evaluate your progress and determine your current battle skills. Therefore, instead of lessons, you will have free time to refine your techniques or advance in cultivation. I think it is obvious, but I will say it anyway. Being the final test, prizes will be awarded to all those who achieve good results." Song Yazhu said as he was about to take the last lesson of his first year as a teacher.

The students became excited when they heard about it. Although the previous test had been absurdly dangerous, there was no doubt that the gains had been many. And now another opportunity had come to obtain more precious resources, not to mention the fact that they knew that the academy this time would certainly not assign them a test in which it wasn't possible to guarantee their safety.

"Be quiet. At the end of the lesson, I will explain the details of the final exam. For now, let's go back to the topic of the day. What I'm going to illustrate is something that can decide between life and death in a fight. I am sure that several of your dead companions could have been saved if they had known these things. But the academy requires that it is explained only at the end to allow you to arrive at these concepts alone. After all, intuition is a fundamental factor for us martial artists. You can't reach the top just by relying on what others have understood."

When Song Yazhu said this, many were surprised because they didn't understand what he was talking about. Was it some secret technique? Some, however, had looks of understanding as if they had sensed what the Spirit King wanted to say. Hei and his companions were part of this second group, but they were still paying close attention to the words of their teacher.

"Management of Spirit Power in Combat. As you know, once your spirit power is over, you are practically dead. Unless you have already killed every single enemy, you will probably be killed in the next instant. In war, this concept is even more valid, given that the enemies are everywhere. It is why we focus a lot of resources on developing martial artist chefs who can restore spirit power. However, you cannot rely on third parties for every situation. You must know how to manage your spirit power.

Let's take a simple example and use numerical values. Let's say my spirit power is ten points. To create a 1-meter radius sphere of light with the Law of Light, I must spend 1 point. If I wanted to create a sphere with a radius of 2 meters, then I would have to spend 2 points. It means that I can use the 1-meter radius sphere up to ten times and the two-meter radius sphere up to five times. Are you following me here?"

Song Yazhu paused to make sure everyone was following his speech. The students nodded yes, and the Spirit King continued with his explanation.

"If we aimed to keep our spirit power as long as possible, it is evident that the best choice is to create the 1-meter sphere of light. But what does this mean? The enemy will have more ease in avoiding our attack as the scale is limited. Does this mean that we must then aim for an offense that doubles or triples the size of the technique used to be sure of hitting the enemy? Wrong again.

A more extensive sphere of light also means more instability in the structure and difficulty in control. Martial artists with good eyes and observation can notice flaws in your technique and destroy it by attacking the weakest points. Or they can walk away until you lose control of your technique.

What is the answer then? I guess many of you will be confused right now. And this is where a fundamental principle comes in - Principle of Maximum Elemental Density.

The Principle of Maximum Elemental Density asserts that in a certain amount of space, it is possible to accumulate a defined amount of spirit power, and if you want to increase this amount, you have to increase the area.

As you know, the amount of spirit power is closely related to the power of your attacks. Increasing or decreasing your spirit power affects the damage. It is why it is essential to know how to manage it. However, if you use techniques with little spirit power or that are easy to dodge, you will only needlessly waste it.

So the solution to your problems is this principle. Condense the maximum amount of spirit power into the maximum amount of space you can manage. I will give you a practical demonstration."

Song Yazhu raised his right index finger. Suddenly, a small sphere of light condensed on the tip of the index finger. The sphere of light had an insane power, and the students watching it swallowed their saliva. There was no doubt that that small sphere had the power to kill them in one fell swoop.

"As you have perceived, my sphere is powerful enough to kill you, spirit soldiers, but it is a no brainer in the eyes of a Spirit King. It is because the amount within spirit power is not enough to overcome the spirit power barrier of a Spirit King. If I wanted to cause damage, I would have to increase the size of the sphere."

Song Yazhu began to widen the sphere gradually. The pressure exerted by the sphere of light increased more and more, and the students in the front row began to feel the pressure unbearable. Even those who sat behind were feeling uncomfortable. Fortunately, Song Yazhu dissolved the sphere, bringing the situation to be normal.

"At my level, it is easy to use techniques covering dozens of meters. However, the greater is the space occupied by the technique, the less uniform the spirit power inside. That is, the amount of spirit power will be uneven, being more concentrated in the center and sparser on the sides. For this reason, even if they are Spirit Emperors who can cover hundreds of meters, you will never see such giant techniques. Because it would be nothing more than a waste of energy. What good is it if the enemy can break your technique by aiming for the weakest points of the structure?

The highest amount of spirit power within the space limit you can manage. This is what you need to aim for. Obviously, there will be occasions when using a wider but more unstable technique can be a good move. However, these are specific cases that are not covered by the general rule. Furthermore, techniques that use the body or weapons as a catalyst are not affected by these limitations. Martial artists who specialize in close combat are less prone to management problems due to wasted techniques. Their management problem stems mostly from the continued consumption in maintaining the defensive layer of spirit power as they are more exposed to attacks."

Song Yazhu, therefore, ended his lengthy explanation. The students were silent. Each of them was reflecting in their minds the implications of what they had just heard.

'That's why Mother's Domain didn't go beyond a certain length. Considering her strength, it wouldn't have been difficult for her to stretch it. The same goes for the head of the She Family or the Spirit Emperors in the Spirit Registration Sphere.' Hei thought to himself.

Indeed, Bao Bei had fought using this same principle. As a sixth-level divine beast, there was no way she could make gross mistakes like unnecessarily wasting her spirit power.

"In any case, you are still spirit soldiers. If you had already sensed it in some way or discovered it only now, it doesn't matter. But remember that the more you continue on the path of cultivation, the more these rules will be dominant. Think about it and see how to correct your fighting style using what you have learned." Song Yazhu said to move then toward something less heavy, "As I said before, every academic year will have a final test. As for the first academic year, the Empire has decided that the final test will be a tournament to decide who is the strongest among you."