Chapter 584: The Secret of Dragon Knight’s Training

Emily was assigned to a knight unit. Being a female knight, and such a young one at that, certainly had its challenges.

She lacked the financial independence to buy weapons or hire squires; all arrangements were made by Liszt.

If not for the potential genius indicated by the smoke mission, her potential alone wouldn't have justified Liszt's extensive efforts on her behalf—given his current standing, he no longer needed to favor his followers. Instead, his followers had to prove their worth to him.

Everyone knew that serving under Liszt would guarantee ample military accolades.

He was the Duchy's most promising viscount, with an earldom as the minimum expectation and a marquisate as a typical advancement.

However, Emily had, after all, been singled out by the smoke mission. It was believed that fate wouldn't randomly intervene to draw Liszt's attention to a failure.

Perhaps, Emily would become the Duchy's first female Sky Knight in the future.

From that point forward.

Emily, alongside the knight unit, trained relentlessly at the Black Horse Ranch on Black Horse Island. They drilled in knight charge formations, always prepared to clash with enemy knights. She had to continually enhance her combat prowess, for even with significant advantages and strong protection, death was always a possibility on the battlefield.

Unlike Liszt in the past, who had the black dragon spirit Parris covertly guarding him, if she truly entered the battlefield, Liszt wouldn't go out of his way to protect her.

Survival equated to growth.

Death signified the failure of Liszt's investment, nothing more.

"Charge!"

Marcus, astride his warhorse, led half the knight regiment in a charge across the grassland, their mana coalescing into a unified force. Were Liszt to observe with his Magic Eye, he would see a vibrant mist of magic power enveloping the knights. This surging mana disrupted all ambient magic in the air.

Rendering mages ineffective.

The formidable elite knight regiments, with their bursts of mana waves, could overwhelm even a Sky Knight who charged in, ultimately trampling them to death under their hooves.

Naturally, a Sky Knight wouldn't be so foolish as to confront a charging knight regiment head-on.

Sky Knights have their own combat style—swordplay.

"Ha!"

"Hah!"

Emily, within the squad, her slender frame beneath the armor drenched in sweat, was intensely focused. When practicing mana in solitude, she felt her training speed plateau, lacking the exhilaration of before. But charging with the knights, her heart surged with excitement.

She felt new mana continuously emerging in her body, nourished by the food provided by the Lord.

"For the Lord's cultivation!"

"Charge!"

With her heart stirred, Emily suddenly thrust her spear forward, the thunder attribute mana, enhanced by the battle formation, became even sharper, piercing through the air, creating crackling sonic booms.

This charge clearly felt half a step more powerful.

"This is progress. Even a charge on the training field can bring me such improvement. What kind of motivation would the pressure of a real battlefield bring during the pioneering decree?"

It's unclear for now.

But she was looking forward to it.

...

Dodo Island, at the crater.

Liszt was also in the midst of his cultivation, with the Fire Drake Leo transforming into a mass of mana, condensing at the position of its chest.

One by one, the magic potions were consumed by Liszt, then absorbed by Leo, converting into impure mana, enhancing the quality of his Dragon Aura—in Liszt's view, although the mana that enhanced his own mana was the impurity absorbed by Leo, it was far more refined in quality than the mana of the potions.

As long as he continuously transformed and enhanced it, sooner or later, his Dragon Aura would synchronize with the Fire Dragon's mana, reaching the same ultimate quality.

At that time, perhaps a single attack from him would not dissipate for thousands of years: "Just like in some novels, where a peerless expert's sword leaves a powerful sword intent in the air, capable of killing even after thousands of years. I might, sooner or later, become a powerful warrior who comprehends the 'sword intent' of the fire attribute."

Of course.

To unleash the "sword intent," that is, the ultimate quality of mana, there are likely many restrictions.

Judging from the mana released by Leo now, every time it exhales or flaps out flames, it is transformed from ordinary levels of mana, only slightly stronger than a mage's fire spell. The true Fire Dragon's mana is stored within its body and not casually leaked.

Even its body is composed of the ultimate quality of Fire Dragon's mana—hence it can freely switch between flesh and magic forms.

Therefore.

Dragons usually hunt and fight.

They should use ordinary attacks, only releasing "sword intent" in life-and-death battles.

For example, in the Everlasting Glory Empire, there is a Wind Howl Valley, where the mana of a Wind Dragon is engraved. It is a remnant from a life-and-death battle between a Wind Dragon and an Archmage, still capable of stirring up fierce winds even after thousands of years. Normally, when the Wind Dragon lives freely, it certainly does not leave behind mana casually.

Otherwise, wherever it passes, there would inevitably be storms everywhere.

Sooner or later, the entire continent would be polluted by these elemental dragons, metal dragons, gem dragons, and even sacred dragons. The fact is, the traces of dragons' lives are very few, almost rare. The metal ores and gem ores formed by their mana are coveted by the vast majority of people.

...

Dragon Aura Cultivation.

Unceasing and continuous.

Liszt felt his Dragon Aura growing stronger.

As his emotions surged, his thoughts wandered: "If the ultimate nature of the dragon's magic power is the key for dragons to freely switch between their magical form and flesh-and-blood body, then when I cultivate to the point where my body is filled with the ultimate nature of Dragon Aura, could I also transform?"

He vaguely felt he had stumbled upon many insights about the cultivation of a Dragon Knight.

The cultivation continued, and so did his contemplation: "Can all dragons freely switch forms? Or is there something unusual about the Fire Drake, Leo?"

Unfortunately, without a reference standard, Liszt couldn't be sure.

But for now, Leo didn't seem to exhibit much that was unusual. It could be said that he was quite similar to the proud dragons described in knightly novels— not allowing anyone to ride him, except for those with the protagonist's aura. In many knightly novels, dragons would actively seek out the protagonist to let them ride.

By this standard, Liszt did not possess the protagonist's aura.

"Without more evidence suggesting that Leo has mutated, I should treat him as an ordinary Fire Drake... According to the theory I just wrote, in the magic network system, dragons are an interactive node between the rules of magic and the rules of physics."

The ability to freely switch between magical form and flesh-and-blood body.

This clearly represents the transformation between magic and matter, aligning with his theory.

So, he thought again: "Perhaps the path of cultivation for a Dragon Knight is to turn oneself into a node within the magic network? To simultaneously master the rules of physics and the rules of magic?"

This was a bold conjecture.

It required more clues to prove, but for now, he could only give the image of the dragon's magic power a name: "Dragon Intent?"