"The pond you are currently in is called the Energy Stabilizing Pond," he said. "The power you cultivated in your mortal realms is mana, which is merely a diluted and incomplete form of the energy used here. The true foundation of cultivation in the Divine Realm is Divine Essence. Mana is derived from it, but it is fundamentally inferior."
His eyes flickered with faint interest as he spoke, as if he had explained this countless times before.
"You likely noticed your mana spiraling out of control the moment you tried to fly," he went on. "That is because Divine Essence saturates this realm. Your bodies and cultivation methods are not yet adapted to it, and as long as that remains the case, your mana will continue to rebel against you."
He gestured lightly toward the water beneath them.
