Fengxian City, the capital of Jiulong Province, was big, prosperous, and bustling with a large population. Many big villages surrounded the city, each developed like small towns. About 12 kilometers away from Fengxian's outer wall was a small village, far from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. The village was surrounded by rice paddies and farm fields. A small dirt path led beyond the farm fields to a hill with stone stairs leading to the top, the stone stairs still relatively new. Another dirt path encircled the hill.
In the early morning, high above, an SO-1 drone resembling a dragonfly flew, its camera focusing on the girl below. She was running, circling the hill several times. As the sun rose, its warm rays dispelled the cold morning air. Wang Lingxin was doing her new morning routine, which her master called jogging. Sweat rolled down her face as she ran, and she wiped it away.
A little elf girl sat on a stone, eating a bun and waving at her, and Wang Lingxin waved back. The little elf girl had fair skin, blonde hair, and long ears.
There was a small wooden house near the base of the hill where the little elf girl and her mother lived. Wang Lingxin had already gotten along well with the little elf girl. Every morning during her jog, the elf girl basked in the morning sun while watching her jog. After circling the hill three times, Wang Lingxin gasped for breath, wiped her sweat, and rested for a while. Then, she ascended the stone stairs up the hill, walking slowly as she was tired.
After walking for a while, she saw the house atop the hill, where she and her master had been living for about a month. She entered the house and headed to the kitchen, going to a big metallic box her master called a refrigerator. This refrigerator was magical, keeping everything stored inside cool and fresh. Thirsty and tired, she opened the refrigerator, got a water jug, took a cup, poured, and drank the refreshing cold water. The water rejuvenated her after the tiring morning jog.
However, her schedule was not over yet. Since moving to the new house, her master had started teaching her something called Physical Education (PE), with sessions scheduled several days a week. Today, after finishing her jog, it was time for PE. She grabbed a tablet from the table and headed to the back of the house. There was a big garden at the back, and to the south, there was a multi-purpose building serving as a gym and a dojo. She entered, turned on the tablet, and put it on a table. The tablet's screen lit up, showing a chibi version of a robot.
"Are you ready?" a voice from the tablet asked.
"Yes, master, let's start," Wang Lingxin said, preparing herself.
After her morning run, there was still more to do, like push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises her master had instructed. Her master said it was to train her body. For Wang Lingxin, it was rather unusual, as she had never heard of such training before. It wasn't like the exercises she knew martial artists or cultivators usually did, such as carrying water jugs from the river, holding jugs of water with outstretched arms, practicing horse stance, or walking on logs of wood. However, she trusted her master and diligently performed these new and unusual exercises, including repeatedly lifting heavy objects.
"One! Two! One! Two! Come on, you can do it!" an encouraging voice could be heard from the dojo, along with Wang Lingxin's grunts.
Below the workshop, there were several underground rooms. In one of the rooms, the temperature was cold. Three stone tables occupied the room, each holding the carcass of a Spirit Beast. Inscriptions covered the tables and the entire room, generating the cold that helped preserve the carcasses longer.
Currently, Orion was busy dissecting one of the Spirit Beast carcasses. Simultaneously, Orion allocated some of its attention to controlling a chibi version of itself on a tablet, which was instructing Wang Lingxin with her morning exercises. The carcass Orion was working on was already cut open, with some body parts placed in a bucket on the table. In another bucket, there was the Spirit Beast core and its meridian system, submerged in slime liquid. After a while working with the carcass, Orion removed the gloves made from slime skin that covered its metallic hands.
Very interesting. But I will need human bodies to do further research and confirm it, Orion thought internally.
Through dissecting the Spirit Beast carcasses, Orion discovered something surprising. Orion had come up with some hypotheses but needed to conduct further research to confirm and strengthen its conclusions. Orion then left the room, carefully closing the door to maintain the cold air and keep the Spirit Beast carcasses fresh longer.
I should not ask the Liu family for help to get me human bodies, Orion thought internally, as it walked to another room. Orion had been asking the Liu family for various things, including Spirit Beast carcasses, but decided not to ask for their help in obtaining human bodies. Orion concluded that some things should not involve the Liu family, such as getting human bodies.
Orion entered another underground room, where many tables were arranged neatly, each with several wooden buckets on top. Orion checked them one by one. It went to a bucket on the left, labeling it internally as Bucket #1, and began to observe it.
In Bucket #1, the bucket was filled with slime liquid, and in it were slime meridians. Orion checked them in detail and found the slime meridians to be in good condition. Behind bucket #1, there was another bucket also filled with slime liquid, containing slime meridians that had been stored longer. Orion checked these as well, noting that they were also still in good condition. Orion had discovered that the slime liquid was very good at preserving not only slime meridians but also Spirit Beast body parts. Orion used it to preserve both, finding it even more effective when the slime liquid was changed regularly.
Orion then checked another bucket, noting it internally as Bucket #2. In Bucket #2, filled with slime liquid, were what Orion called ADAMS (Artificial Dantian and Meridian System). The artificial Dantian was a Spirit Beast core fully enclosed in a metallic sphere. Inside the metallic sphere, it was filled with Liquified Qi (LQ).
Not only did the sphere contain the Spirit Beast core, but also a storage ring that stored additional LQ. The storage ring could be controlled to release more LQ. The metallic sphere had many holes. One of the holes had a cable passing through it to control the activation of the storage ring. Additionally, slime meridians were connected to the Spirit Beast core inside the metallic sphere through the remaining holes. Inside the metallic sphere, the slime meridians were wrapped in slime skin to protect them from direct contact with the LQ, because direct exposure to the LQ would dissolve the slime meridians.
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Orion checked another bucket. To the right of Bucket #2 was Bucket #3. In Bucket #3, there was also an ADAMS, like in Bucket #2, but with many added cables connected to the slime meridians. Orion used electrical stimuli to control and stimulate the meridians, employing small electrical impulses. It took Orion a long time to master the control of slime meridians using electrical impulses.
Now, Orion could control the meridians to transfer Qi and regulate the amount. Currently, the system had many cables and a microcontroller to control it. Orion turned on the system. The ADAMS operated, transferring Qi from the Spirit Beast core inside the metallic sphere, which acted as the artificial Dantian, through the meridian system. Simultaneously, the Spirit Beast core continued absorbing the LQ and converting it into Qi that could be transferred through the meridian system. The microcontroller managed the electrical impulses to the meridians, controlling the Qi flow, its direction, and quantity.
Satisfied, Orion turned off the system and moved to the next bucket.
To the right of Bucket #3 was Bucket #4. In Bucket #4, there was an ADAMS similar to Bucket #3 but with a slightly different configuration. Orion activated it. This system was absorbing Qi from the surroundings through the meridians and transferring it to the artificial Dantian or Spirit Beast core within the metallic sphere, simulating the process of a cultivator absorbing Qi from the environment.
The system worked, but the absorption rate was very slow. Orion turned off the system and moved to the next bucket.
In Bucket #5, there was an ADAMS like in Bucket #3, but with some modifications to the system, and some parts of the meridians were also connected to a Spirit Stone. Orion turned on the system. The microcontroller then controlled the ADAMS via electrical stimulation.
For Bucket #5, the system was absorbing Qi from the Spirit Stone into the artificial Dantian or Spirit Beast core. This simulated the process of a cultivator absorbing Qi from a Spirit Stone. As time went by, the Spirit Stone grew dimmer, indicating that the Qi inside was decreasing as it got absorbed by the meridians and transferred to the artificial Dantian.
Orion turned off the system, removed the Spirit Stone, examined it closely for a while, and then moved to the next table.
On the table, there were several buckets, each containing an ADAMS connected to a bunch of cables. Each bucket's ADAMS was controlled by a microcontroller to regulate the electrical stimuli given to the system. The meridian of each ADAMS was connected to a plate with a simple inscription system, mimicking a simplified version of inscriptions used in weapons.
Orion then turned on the system. Each plate exhibited a unique phenomenon. One plate became hot, occasionally emitting flames. Another plate crackled with electricity. A different plate was cold, covered in a layer of ice frost. Yet another plate blew wind, while another became wet with water dripping from it. Other plates exhibited different phenomena.
The system was mimicking how cultivators use their meridian systems to generate unique phenomena. Orion had already concluded that the combination of meridians and Qi control caused these phenomena. The varying phenomena were determined by which meridian combination was used. Cultivators used this knowledge to develop cultivation, combat, movement techniques, and to fight.
Satisfied, Orion turned off the system. The plates that exhibited various phenomena returned to normal. Orion not only gained a deeper understanding of basic cultivation knowledge but also successfully uncovered some mysteries about the Dantian and meridian systems through this experiment.
Finally, on the last table, there was a big, long wooden box filled with slime liquid, containing an ADAMS. What was peculiar was that the ADAMS was arranged to resemble a humanoid figure. The artificial Dantian was located around the lower abdomen area, and the slime meridians were arranged with the help of threads, wooden nails, and sticks, resulting in a shape resembling a human body. It had structures resembling legs, a body, and hands.
Many cables were also connected to the ADAMS, but Orion was still working on it and had not yet completed it. Orion took a short glance before leaving the room.
Orion went to another room, where many slime skins were hanging on the wall. Several buckets filled with slime liquid were on the tables. Some buckets had slime skins submerged in them. One bucket contained an ADAMS, with some of the meridians connected to the slime skin and many cables connected to the slime meridians.
Orion turned on the system, and the microcontroller controlled the electrical stimuli. The slime skin kept changing color and texture, showcasing the camouflage ability similar to that of an octopus. Orion's further research had discovered that some slime variants had chromatophores akin to those of an octopus, though slightly different, allowing the slime to camouflage by changing color and texture.
Beside it was another bucket with an ADAMS and slime skin. Orion turned on this system, but the slime skin didn't change color. Instead, it wiggled as if alive, contracting, hardening, becoming elastic, lengthening, and shortening, all under the microcontroller's control. The reactions of the slime skin were caused by electrical stimuli given to the slime meridians connected to the slime skin.
It took a long time and a lot of effort for Orion to understand how to control and manipulate the slime skin. Satisfied with the observations, Orion turned off the systems of both buckets and then left the room.
In the dojo, Wang Lingxin's voice could be heard, grunting with effort.
"Ughhh!" Wang Lingxin, currently doing push-ups, sweat dripping onto the floor.
"Twenty-four... come on, one more time... twenty-five," Orion's voice encouraged from the tablet.
"Guahh..." Wang Lingxin managed one last push-up before collapsing onto the floor, lying there tired and breathing loudly.
"Good job, you can take a short break," said the chibi Orion on the tablet. The tablet screen then turned off.
Wang Lingxin didn't reply, too tired to speak. She lay motionless on the floor, trying to adjust her breathing.
After about ten minutes, Wang Lingxin was still lying on the floor but had calmed her breathing. She heard footsteps approaching and entering the dojo—it was her master. Orion had left the underground room where it was busy with research and experiments and was now heading to the dojo. It was time to teach Wang Lingxin about combat.
Previously, Orion had controlled the chibi version of itself on the tablet to instruct Wang Lingxin, while Orion was occupied with research in the underground room. Now, Orion paused its research temporarily to teach Wang Lingxin in the dojo.
Orion also had been teaching Wang Lingxin about combat via the tablet, providing her with 3D animations of combat techniques and movements, as well as lessons on human body vulnerabilities. However, Orion still needed to personally instruct her to correct and improve her movements, posture, and positioning.
The Physical Education (PE) isn't just about having a healthy and strong body. In a world where might makes right and the strong prey on the weak, having sufficient strength is crucial. Therefore, Orion also teaches Wang Lingxin about combat. As for cultivation, it's still under research, and Orion currently only teaches Wang Lingxin basic knowledge and information about it.
"Are you ready, or do you need more time to rest?" Orion asked as it entered the dojo and saw Wang Lingxin still lying on the floor.
"Master, I am ready. Let's continue," Wang Lingxin replied, immediately getting up. After a short rest, she had regained some energy and was ready for the last part of today's lesson.