Staring at the white orb of energy before him, the Emperor cautiously wrapped it in his golden psychic power, then drew it toward himself.
He began probing the white sphere's energy with his immense psychic power, and, as he expected, what he found could only be described as remarkable.
This white energy didn't just possess tremendous destructive potential; it also carried positive effects.
Within it surged a life force, along with a sensation impossible to put into words.
The power of Ki, it seemed, was in no way inferior to the psychic might drawn from the Warp.
It was an indescribable feeling, like righteous energy, like the breath of life, like cellular vitality, like a person's presence, a person's aura, a person's very essence.
This force known as "Ki" seemed to belong only to Axis.
Russ had tried to wield this power too, and Axis had tried to help him, but the results had been negligible.
"Axis, can you teach me how to refine this Ki?" the Emperor finally asked.
This Ki was far more practical than psychic power.
Psychic power couldn't massively strengthen one's body, after all.
That was because psychic power wasn't truly yours to command; you used your body and soul as a channel to draw strength from the Warp.
If your body couldn't handle it, that psychic energy would backlash against you, or worse, be exploited by daemonic entities of Chaos.
You could end up tearing open a flesh-and-blood portal with your soul and body, allowing a flood of Warp horrors to pour into the real universe.
The only reason his own psychic powers were so strong, safe, and stable was for special reasons.
Something terrifying slumbered inside his body, an entity from the Warp itself.
If there was a power equal to the Warp's, but even safer, the Emperor would gladly embrace it.
"Of course, I can teach you. But I can't guarantee you'll succeed," Axis replied, nodding.
He then had the Emperor sit cross-legged, and patiently explained the method of circulating and refining Ki.
Just as he had with Russ, Axis let his own Ki flow through the Emperor's body, so he could more clearly sense its power.
But unfortunately, even someone as mighty as the Emperor, the strongest being in this universe, was unable to comprehend the power of Ki.
No matter how many times they tried, even if Axis left a trace of his own Ki as a seed inside the Emperor's body, it would vanish like water with no roots, dispersing almost immediately.
"A pity! It seems this is a power that belongs to you alone. Use it well, child," the Emperor said, looking at Axis.
"I will," Axis nodded slightly.
It seemed only people from the Dragon Ball world could truly comprehend the power of Ki.
This was the treasure Axis had brought with him after crossing over from the Dragon Ball universe to Warhammer.
It was a power unique to the lifeforms of the Dragon Ball world; humans or any other beings from the Warhammer universe simply couldn't grasp it.
It was a power unique to a single universe, just like psychic power in Warhammer!
Saiyans could produce offspring with humans, so, Axis wondered, if he ever had a child, would that child inherit the power of Ki?
Axis had a theory: Ki was a power you could only learn if you came from the Dragon Ball world.
Even if he were to have a half-blooded Saiyan child with a human in this universe, the child would inherit the Saiyan's physical power, but not necessarily the power of Ki.
Because in this world, there was no such concept as Ki.
Likewise, if someone tried to clone him using his blood, they wouldn't succeed either.
At most, what they'd get would be a monster with berserk strength but no Ki at all!
It was just like those Primarch clones made by the future mad scientist Fabius Bile. They might have the appearance and physique of a Primarch, but none of their Warp essence.
"Axis, have you noticed anything special about this thing you call Ki? It seems like it can sustain a person's life," the Emperor asked.
Since this Ki energy held life force, theoretically it should be able to aid recovery or even provide healing.
"That's true! But as for healing, it's nowhere near as good as the medical pods I provide. At best, it can keep someone hanging on to their last breath," Axis nodded.
Ki could indeed help someone on the verge of death cling to life for a while, but its actual healing ability was practically nonexistent.
Namekians, on the other hand, could heal through their special abilities.
"This unique power is the foundation of everything. You've only developed its destructive potential, but in the future, you should try exploring its other applications. Trust me, this power is far from as simple as you think," the Emperor advised.
Hearing this, Axis nodded thoughtfully.
Ki did indeed have many different aspects. Even gods possessed Ki, and the Namekians' special powers…could it be that those were simply another way of using Ki?
The power of Ki wasn't just about destruction.
The Emperor was right. He really should explore more possibilities of Ki.
"Axis, did you realize that when your Ki enters another person and flows through their body, it enhances their physical abilities? Have you noticed this?" the Emperor asked.
Previously, when Axis had infused Russ with Ki, even just a year's time had resulted in noticeable improvements to Russ's physical condition.
This had surprised the Emperor greatly.
For Primarchs, after reaching adulthood, their physical development was supposed to be set in stone, unless they awakened their Warp essence, further growth was only possible through honing their skills.
Physically, they were already the peak of humanity.
But thanks to Axis's Ki, Russ's physical power had actually grown.
When Axis circulated his Ki through his own body, the Emperor could clearly sense the Ki nourishing his cells and enhancing his physique, albeit very subtly, but the effect was real.
So, although Ki couldn't be granted for others to wield, Axis could indeed use it to enhance the bodies of others, something he himself had never even realized.
"??? My Ki can strengthen other people's bodies?" Axis asked in surprise.
"Yes! Ki can enhance another person's physical qualities, albeit very slowly. I expected my Primarchs' physical power to never grow any further after adulthood. But after coming into contact with your Ki, Russ's body actually became stronger," the Emperor said.