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Quantum Dao
Chapter 66: Aria

Chapter 66: Aria

"One two... one two... put more power into your punch."

"One two... straighten your arm. Do it again. One two..."

"Kick higher. One two... come on, faster..."

Orion instructed Wang Lingxin, who followed diligently. She had already grasped the basics, but still made occasional mistakes. Orion corrected her posture and movements as needed.

Orion was teaching her various punching and kicking techniques. Wang Lingxin practiced against a wooden humanoid mannequin made by Orion, which was sized to match her height. After practicing the forms and movements of punches and kicks, Orion instructed her to practice on a heavy bag. The heavy bag, made by Orion from Spirit Beast leather and filled with kapok, had a soft surface but was firm, durable, and strong.

Wang Lingxin delivered her punches and kicks with increasing precision. Orion observed from the side, occasionally correcting her form and demonstrating the proper techniques.

"This is how you do it. Watch carefully," said Orion.

Bam bam bam bam.

Orion demonstrated, delivering strong and precise punches and kicks that generated loud sounds. Wang Lingxin was impressed.

"Got it? Okay, do it. Don't forget to put more power into your punches and kicks," Orion instructed.

"Yes, master," Wang Lingxin replied. She took a deep breath before punching and kicking. Unlike Orion's powerful strikes, her punches and kicks made soft sounds, more like psh psh psh. Orion watched, nodded, satisfied that Wang Lingxin was learning and improving.

After a while, Orion allowed her a short rest. Following the break, Orion began teaching Wang Lingxin about combat techniques, incorporating her punches and kicks into a cohesive fighting style.

"Okay, perform the combat movements you've learned," Orion said.

Wang Lingxin performed a series of punches, kicks, and movements she remembered. Orion had taught her these techniques via the tablet, using 3D animations. Though she struggled, moving slowly from one technique to another, trying to recall the next sequence, she persisted. Orion then provided direct, rapid instructions, which Wang Lingxin followed more quickly.

"Right punch, right side kick, spin, right back kick, forward, left kick, grab, pull the head, right knee to the face, right punch..." Orion directed. Wang Lingxin swiftly followed.

"Good, next one... dodge to the side, left punch, right kick to the crotch, duck, and right punch to the abdomen, uppercut..." Orion continued.

After about an hour of teaching Wang Lingxin about combat, they were done. Wang Lingxin sat on the floor, stretching her legs, feeling exhausted and worn out.

"Okay, we're finished. What do you want for breakfast?" Orion asked.

"Master... I want... chicken soup..." Wang Lingxin replied, tired.

Orion nodded and left the dojo, planning to clean the house next. Based on Wang Lingxin's current progress in unarmed combat, Orion could soon start teaching her to use weapons. After Orion left, Wang Lingxin lay on the floor, planning to rest for a while, staring up at the ceiling.

After resting for a while, she headed to the shower, took her clothes off, threw them into a rattan basket, and took a hot shower, washing away her sweat and tiredness.

After showering and getting dressed, Wang Lingxin went to the dining room. There, she found steaming rice, stir-fried vegetables, and still-hot chicken soup, along with a cup of milk. Wang Lingxin enthusiastically devoured the breakfast, energized after the tiring morning routine. She then cleaned the dishes and, after finishing, immediately ran out of the house.

"Master, I am going out to play," Wang Lingxin called out as she closed the front door and ran towards the stone stairs, then walked downhill.

Orion observed Wang Lingxin departing through the CCTV camera outside while cleaning a room on the second floor. An SO-1 drone, circling high above the hill, immediately changed its course and started following Wang Lingxin, its camera focused on her.

Orion didn't worry about Wang Lingxin playing outside. The surrounding area was safe, with no Spirit Beasts or dangerous people. The villagers were kind and warm, and Wang Lingxin enjoyed visiting the village. Orion had already secretly investigated the village, ensuring there were no hidden dangers.

Orion controlled the drone to follow Wang Lingxin, monitoring from high above, ready to respond if anything happened.

After cleaning the house, Orion headed to the workshop and went to the biggest underground room. There, Orion retrieved from the storage ring a DIY gun it had made: a simple musket with a smoothbore barrel fashioned from a metallic pipe carried from Earth. The propellant, made from explosive material found in firecrackers, and the bullet was a round steel ball ordered from the city. The gun had a wooden handle and body, inspired by old muskets from Earth.

Orion prepared the musket, taking out a paper cartridge from its storage ring. It tore the paper cartridge and poured some of the powder into the pan and then the rest into the barrel. Next, it used a ramrod to push the steel ball and wadding down the barrel to ensure a snug fit.

Once ready, Orion aimed towards a wooden mannequin about 50 meters away. There were several wooden mannequins, some with inscriptions of varying strength and some without. Orion aimed at one without inscriptions, fired, and the shot hit, causing a hole in the wooden mannequin. The steel ball was lodged inside the hole.

Orion reloaded and aimed at another wooden mannequin, this time one with inscriptions. The shot created a small hole, and the steel ball clanked as it fell to the stone floor several meters away, failing to embed itself in the wooden mannequin. Orion reloaded again and aimed at another inscribed wooden mannequin, but this time the shot didn't even leave a scratch.

Next, Orion tested a bow and arrows. It shot ordinary arrows and arrows with inscriptions at the wooden mannequins, noting the effects. Then, it threw knives at the mannequins, observing the differences between normal knives and those with inscriptions.

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Orion planned to head out to obtain some human bodies and was currently testing the weapons it planned to use for this purpose.

Guns are rather useless in this cultivation world, Orion thought internally.

The projectiles of guns are rather small and difficult to inscribe, meaning they can only rely on their physical force and impact. They can't be enhanced with inscriptions to increase their power. Orion planned to research firearms but decided to deprioritize this for now.

The current musket gun is useful for killing mortals, but it's less effective against cultivators. Orion estimated that the musket gun could kill low-level Qi Condensation realm cultivators but would only hurt those at the peak of Qi Condensation.

Arrows are more useful since they can be inscribed to make them stronger.

Orion then headed to another underground room to continue research and experiments on various subjects. After hours of work, Orion stopped and noticed through the SO-1 drone camera that Wang Lingxin was walking through the stone stairs uphill, accompanied by an elf girl. Orion checked its internal clock—it was about time for Wang Lingxin's lunch—Orion then cleaned up the table, stored some objects in the storage ring, and left the underground room.

"Master, I am back," Wang Lingxin called as she opened the door and entered the house with an elf girl.

Orion came to greet them. "Welcome back," Orion replied.

"Master, I brought Aria with me," Wang Lingxin added.

"Greetings, Uncle Orion," Aria said politely.

"Mmm, welcome, Aria. Does your mother go to the forest to pick herbs?" Orion asked.

"Yes, she went to the forest in the north," Aria replied.

"Master... lunch, I am hungry," Wang Lingxin said.

"Sure, Aria, would you like to join?" Orion invited.

Aria nodded shyly.

After lunch, Wang Lingxin and Aria stayed at the house, playing in the garden behind it. Orion approached them, carrying something.

"Lingxin, Aria, here," Orion said, offering them each something on a stick.

Wang Lingxin and Aria went over to Orion and took one each, Aria curious about the colorful thing.

"Uncle Orion, what is this?" Aria asked, examining it closely and feeling the cold.

"It's called an ice pop, and it's delicious," Wang Lingxin said, licking hers.

"That's right, it's called an ice pop. Give it a try," Orion encouraged.

"Wow, it's really good," Aria said, following Wang Lingxin's lead and licking the ice pop. It was sweet, cold, and refreshing.

Wang Lingxin and Aria found a spot to sit on the wooden stairs of the dojo, enjoying their ice pops. Meanwhile, Orion swept the garden with a broom.

"Uncle Orion, why is that tree in a pot and not planted in the ground?" Aria asked, pointing at a potted tree in the corner of the garden as she licked her ice pop.

"I still haven't decided where to plant it yet," Orion replied as it swept.

"The pot is small; the tree feels stuffy," Aria said, sensing the tree's discomfort. The pot was too small for the roots to grow and spread properly.

"Stuffy? Can you tell what the tree feels?" Orion asked.

Aria nodded.

Can she really sense the tree's emotions? Orion wondered internally. Though hard to believe, in a cultivation world, such things could be possible.

"Then will you help me plant it?" Orion asked.

Aria nodded.

"Master, I will also help," Wang Lingxin said.

Orion chose a spot in the garden and began digging the ground easily with a shovel that is enhanced with inscriptions. Aria and Wang Lingxin also helped using small shovels. Before long, they had a hole ready. Orion then took the tree out of the pot and placed it in the hole. Orion then started shoveling dirt to fill the remaining space around the plant.

"Uncle Orion, is there more black soil like in the pot?" Aria asked.

"Black soil? Yes, I still have some. Why?" Orion replied.

Liu Mingzhen had given a sack of black soil along with the potted plant, saying it was good for growing Spirit Herbs and Spirit Fruits.

"The tree likes it and wants more," Aria said.

"I see," Orion said, retrieving a sack of black soil and pouring it into the hole. Orion then shoveled the remaining dirt to fill the hole completely.

"Uncle Orion, the tree wants water," Aria said.

Orion retrieved a jug of water from the storage ring and poured it around the base of the tree, then stored the jug back in the storage ring.

"How about now?" Orion asked.

"Hmmmm.... It's good. The tree is happy," Aria said.

"That's good," Orion replied. "Can you really talk to trees?"

"I can't really talk to them, but I can feel their feelings and emotions slightly," Aria explained.

That is a very interesting ability, Orion thought internally.

Aria and Wang Lingxin continued to play as the sun set, casting an orange hue across the western sky. An elf woman arrived at the house to pick up Aria. It was Elara, Aria's mom, carrying a rattan basket on her back, along with a bow and quiver.

"Mr. Orion, thank you very much for always taking care of my daughter," Elara said.

"It's nothing," Orion replied.

"And thank you, little Lingxin, for playing with Aria," Elara smiled.

"Hehehe, of course, we have lots of fun," Wang Lingxin said.

Aria nodded and smiled.

"Here, Mr. Orion, it's not much, but I found some good mushrooms. You can use them for cooking. I also have some wild fruits; they taste great," Elara said, reaching into her rattan basket and taking out the mushrooms and fruits.

"Thank you very much," Orion said, accepting the gift.

"I was also very lucky today. I discovered a trove filled with Spiritual Herbs. Would you be interested?" Elara asked.

"Oh, is there something new?" Orion asked, intrigued.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing special or unique," Elara said, showing several kinds of Spiritual Herbs.

"Thank you very much, but there's no need," Orion replied.

Elara nodded, understanding that the armored man had a keen interest in unique Spirit Herbs. She had given him many various Spirit Herbs before, and the armored man was only interested in something new he hadn't seen before.

Elara excused herself and returned with Aria. As they walked down the stone stairs, Elara asked, "Did you have fun today?"

"Mmm," Aria nodded. She then narrated her day, describing what she and Wang Lingxin played, also mentioning the cold snack called an ice pop, which was sweet and refreshing, and how she helped plant a tree. Elara smiled as she walked along, listening.

Elara is in the 2nd stage of the Qi Condensation realm. She was a member of a mercenary guild but has now retired. Her husband was also a member of the mercenary guild, and they worked together as a team. Unfortunately, he was killed during one of their missions a few years ago. After his death, Elara retired from being a mercenary to focus on raising Aria. She now goes to the forest to gather Spiritual Herbs and hunt, selling what she collects.

Elara preferred moving to a small village far from the city, where the air is fresher, and they are closer to nature and the nearby forest. The village is mostly inhabited by humans, and there are no other elves. While the villagers are warm and kind, the children often bully Aria, which saddens Elara. As a result, Aria mostly stays at home. Elara can't leave Aria alone when she goes to the forest, so she always brings her along, teaching her about nature, Spirit Herbs, and sharing her knowledge. Moreover, Aria has an affinity for nature and can feel the gentle and soft emotions of plants in the forest, which gives her a soothing feeling. Coupled with the bullying by the village kids, Aria felt more comfortable being in the forest than in the village.

One day, there was a lot of activity on the hill near their house. Apparently, a retired cultivator had decided to build a house on top of the hill. Once the house was finished, the armored man and his disciple, a little girl named Wang Lingxin, moved in.

Elara and Aria quickly became accustomed to their new neighbors. Elara was thrilled that Wang Lingxin befriended Aria, and they got along well. With her new friend, Aria had someone to play with, allowing Elara to venture deeper into the forest, exploring more dangerous and challenging places while Aria played with Wang Lingxin.

Night fell, and Wang Lingxin was eating dinner while Orion sat opposite her, reading a book. A stack of books was piled beside it, and Orion flipped through the pages quickly.

"Tomorrow we will return to the city," Orion said.

"Oh, that's good. I miss Big Sis Chunhua a little," Wang Lingxin replied as she ate.

"Also, I plan to leave the city for a while, and you will stay with Chunhua," Orion said.

"Master, where are you going? Can I come?" Wang Lingxin asked.

"No, it's a secret," Orion replied.

"Master, you're not planning to have fun secretly without me, right?" Wang Lingxin questioned.

"Of course not. What makes you think that?" Orion responded.

Wang Lingxin continued eating, eyeing Orion with suspicion.