(The Mysterious Floating Island, Leo's POV)
The chamber pulsed softly with heat as Motherak shifted his massive soul form, the glow of his scales dimming and brightening in rhythm.
For a few seconds, he simply stared at Leo, silent and unreadable, before finally speaking.
"My tribe, the Dragons, I'm sure they still live in some corner of the universe. Not all of them will possess the mana heart, as even in the ancient times, only the dragons with the best genetics used to have it.... However, if you can safely nurture humans here, I'm sure you can do the same for Dragons.
So my request is simple. Find my people, and invite them to live here as well, so that I can oversee their development, and become a beast king once more."
Moltherak asked, as Leo raised an eyebrow at the demand.
There did exist a few planets across the universe still inhabited by mythical beasts, but their numbers were nothing compared to the countless worlds ruled by humans.
From what Leo knew, only four planets remained with a significant dragon population, each fiercely protective of its own kind.
Which was why, finding one and convincing its inhabitants to leave was going to be extremely complicated.
"Your request is difficult, but not impossible. I can attempt to complete it within this century, but if I am to succeed, I will need your assistance as well,"
Leo said, his tone calm and deliberate, as Moltherak nodded slowly, the faint glow of his eyes softening in approval.
"That is only natural. If you accept this task, I shall lend you my knowledge in return. Tell me, young human, what secrets do you seek from me? I will indulge your curiosity for as long as you wish."
Moltherak encouraged, as Leo let out a quiet sigh, the sharp glint in his gray eyes returning. "Aura," he began, his tone thoughtful. "Tell me more about it, especially what determines its strength. Lately, I feel as though there is a key ingredient missing from my training."
"Your aura control is already remarkable, and I can see you have begun walking the King's Path," Motherak replied, but before he could continue, Leo interrupted.
"You mean the Emperor's Path?"
He asked, raising a brow, as Motherak chuckled softly and shook his head.
"King's Path, at least that's what we called it in the old days. Perhaps you modern humans decided to make it sound more glamorous."
Leo gave a faint nod, gesturing for him to go on.
"At your stage, there are four key factors that influence the strength of aura," Moltherak explained.
"The first is control. This refers to your ability to express your aura precisely as you wish. The greater your control, the more lethal your aura becomes. You are already doing well in this regard, since you can mold your aura into both a shield and a weapon. That alone proves your grasp over its flow."
Leo listened carefully, his full attention fixed on the ancient dragon.
"The second factor is the cultivation tier," Moltherak continued. "The stronger your cultivation, the stronger your soul becomes, and since aura originates from the soul, the two grow in tandem. A golden core cultivator's soul will always have limits that a nascent soul cultivator can surpass. Therefore, the higher your tier, the more potent your aura."
Leo's eyes narrowed slightly as he translated the ancient phrasing into modern understanding. Moltherak was referring to ascension from the Transcendent stage to Monarch, and how tiering up was beneficial for increasing soul strength.
"The third factor," Motherak went on, "is karma. Your deeds cling to your soul and give it scent and weight. Become a tyrant like me, who has slaughtered billions for pleasure, and your karma will steep your soul in bloodlust. That accumulated karma strengthens your killing intent, making it sharper and heavier than that of an opponent who has never killed. It has nothing to do with training, yet it impacts your aura's strength greatly. No God you ever come across will ever be a saint. For their aura to have any legitimacy, they must have slaughtered billions. It is unjust, yet it remains true, the more you kill, the stronger your killing intent becomes and so far this is where you lack. Your soul is clean compared to the aura you wield, and it can grow a lot stronger if you start to slaughter indiscriminately.
But karma does not only feed hatred. The same rule applies to joy, love, and compassion. Spread joy throughout the cosmos, and your good karma will make your aura radiant and serene. So in essence, your past deeds shape the nature and potency of your aura, but as a warrior, the only karma you should care about is lives claimed."
Leo nodded slowly, absorbing every word with deep focus.
"And lastly," Motherak said, his tone deepening, "aura is shaped by emotion. Emotion acts as both amplifier and suppressor, for they can elevate your aura to divine heights or cripple it entirely. Combine anger with killing intent and its ferocity multiplies, but temper it with joy, and its edge dulls. Maintaining the correct emotional state is as vital for aura mastery as control itself, and hence to command aura perfectly, you must first master emotion."
Moltherak concluded, as Leo stood quietly before him, his expression thoughtful and composed.
Every word the dragon had spoken resonated deeply within him, revealing truths that no manual or master had ever taught.
He could feel new understanding settle into place, as though the fragmented pieces of his training were finally aligning.
"So you're saying that the reason behind why I'm not able to keep my aura in control is because my emotional state is not stable?"
Leo asked, as Motherak nodded in agreement.
"You are mastering aura without mastering emotions. There is a bubbling anger within you that refuses to fade away, yet instead of accepting it and processing it like an adult, you're trying to forcibly pin it down like a child. The more you suppress it. The more it will leak out of you. For aura and emotions are related. What you need to do instead is learn how to channel it, and wield it as a weapon, for it's not your aura control that's lacking, but rather the anger you feel is too strong."
Motherak explained, as Leo finally understood as to why his aura kept leaking out of his body against his will.
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