Jon sprinted towards Han's house, his feet barely touching the ground. "Old man! Old man!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the mountain air.

Han sat on his porch, carefully finishing a straw hat. He looked up as Jon approached, one eyebrow raised. "You know, I could hear you the first time. Cultivator hearing, remember?"

Jon skidded to a stop, laughing and out of breath. Big Dawg bounded around him, barking excitedly and wagging his tail. "Yeah, yeah, old man. But look at this!"

Ignoring Han's comment, Jon held out his hands, palms facing each other. His face scrunched in concentration as he focused his qi. Suddenly, sparks danced between his palms, growing into a ball of crackling electricity.

"See? See?" Jon's eyes were wide with excitement. "Just like yours!"

Han's eyes widened, darting between Jon, Big Dawg, and the ball of electricity. The old man's straw hat lay forgotten in his lap as he leaned forward, his mouth slightly open in shock.

"How?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jon grinned, canceling the technique without any mishap. The electricity faded away, leaving only a faint smell of ozone in the air. "I had a freaking breakthrough! I think I could do even more elements right now, but it still takes a lot of focus."

Han's eyes widened even further, if that was possible. "Boy..." he started, but his voice trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Jon couldn't help himself. He reached out and patted the old man on the head, his grin growing wider. "I know, I know. I'm a genius, right? A prodigy that appears once every thousand years?"

Han's face grew serious, more serious than Jon had ever seen it. His eyes locked onto Jon's, and in a voice filled with gravitas, he said, "...Yes."

Jon froze, his hand still on Han's head. This... this wasn't what he expected. Where was the quip about his bad form? The critique about not molding the qi enough? Anything?

But Han's face right now was something Jon had never seen before. It was a look of absolute seriousness, maybe even a hint of awe.

"Take your hand off my head," he said dryly.

Jon, suddenly realizing how his excitement had made him overstep, quickly pulled his hand back. "Oh, sorry," he mumbled, a bit embarrassed.

Han continued to stare at Jon, his eyes scrutinizing him as if he were some curious creature he'd never seen before.

"What?" Jon asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable under the intense gaze.

Han didn't answer. He just kept looking at Jon with that strange expression. Meanwhile, Big Dawg flopped onto his back, presenting his belly to Jon for rubs.

"Tend to your dog," Han said abruptly.

Jon, grateful for the distraction, knelt down and began rubbing Big Dawg's belly. "Who's a good boy? You are! Yes, you are!" he cooed.

Suddenly, Han let out a laugh. Not just a chuckle, but a full-bodied laugh that echoed across the mountainside.

Jon looked up, startled. "What's going on with you, old man?"

Han's laughter subsided, but a smile remained on his face. "Out of all the people it could have been, you had to be the one with such potential."

Jon felt a twinge of offense at Han's words. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, his hand pausing mid-belly rub, much to Big Dawg's disappointment.

Han's eyes softened as he spoke, "What you just accomplished took me 60 years to understand. By those standards, you're already better than me. You'll surely surpass me in less than a thousand years."

Jon shrugged, "I have no intention of spending a thousand years here though."

Han grabbed Jon by the shoulders, his eyes intense. "But you could surpass the wall! You could be at the pinnacle, where few have reached!"

"That's nice, but... nah," Jon replied, nonplussed. "What happens after? I ascend? Go to another plane of existence? Try to be at the top there too? When does this end?"

Han looked at Jon, his grip tightening slightly on Jon's shoulders. For a moment, Jon felt a flicker of vexation from the old man. But Han quickly composed himself, his hands relaxing.

"Forgive me, disciple," Han said, his voice calm once more. "I have inadvertently projected my own dead ambitions onto you."

Jon nodded, offering a small smile. "No harm done."

Han grunted, a bit embarrassed. His eyes fell on the object in Jon's hand. "What's that you're holding?"

"Oh, this?" Jon held up his phone. "It's called a smartphone where I come from."

Han's eyebrows furrowed. "Smart? Is it a sentient object? Does it have its own spirit?"

Jon chuckled. "No, nothing like that. It can do many things, but people mainly use it to communicate and listen to music."

"Communicate? How do you communicate with this thing?" Han asked, peering at the device.

"That'd be complicated to do here," Jon said with a laugh. "But I can show you the music part." He pulled out his headphones from his pocket.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Han's eyes widened with curiosity. "Are there instruments inside it? Or is it a dimensional object?"

"You guys have dimensional objects too?" Jon asked, surprised.

Han nodded, showing Jon his ring. "Yes, like this."

"Anyway, no, it's not that," Jon said, bringing the conversation back to the phone. He showed Han how to put on the headphones. "Here, put these on like this."

Han followed Jon's instructions, looking both curious and slightly wary.

"Are you ready?" Jon asked, his finger hovering over the play button.

Han nodded curiously, bracing himself for whatever was about to happen.

Jon scrolled through his playlist, muttering to himself, "Let's see... I've got a bit of everything here. Classical, rap, love songs... Ah, perfect!" His thumb stopped on a track he thought would be a great introduction for Han, especially given his title of Thunderking.

With a grin, Jon pressed play. The opening riff of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" began to pulse through the headphones.

Han's eyes widened immediately. His body tensed, as if preparing for battle. As the drums kicked in, he started nodding his head to the rhythm, his fingers tapping against his leg.

When the vocals hit, Han's expression was a mix of confusion and exhilaration. He didn't understand the words, but the energy of the music was undeniable. His qi began to swirl around him, responding to the thunderous beats.

As the song progressed, Han's movements became more animated. He started tapping his foot, then his whole body was moving to the rhythm. When the chorus hit, a small spark of electricity danced between his fingers.

When the song finally ended, Han took off the headphones, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I... I don't understand what I just heard," he said. "But it makes me want to fight! To summon lightning and challenge the heavens themselves!"

"This... this 'music' from your world. It's powerful. I can feel the qi resonating with it. Extraordinary!"

Jon grinned, pleased with Han's reaction. "Pretty cool, right? Wait till you hear the rest of my playlist!"

He then showed Han the art of photos and selfies, snapping a quick picture of them together. Han marveled at the instant image, poking at the screen in wonder.

As Jon rummaged through his belongings, searching for his spare earphones, he came across the books he'd brought. "Oh yeah, almost forgot about these," he said, pulling them out to show Han.

Han's eyes scanned the titles, his expression thoughtful. "The 'Understanding the Dao of Air' one would be most useful to you right now," he said. "Swordsmanship and stealth techniques would take much more time to master. Besides, you're already gifted in qi understanding."

Jon's eyes lit up. "Could you teach me that too?" he asked eagerly.

"I could... in exchange for those peculiar eye coverings of yours."

Jon followed Han's gaze to his sunglasses. He chuckled, pulling them off and handing them to Han. "Deal. They're called sunglasses, by the way. They protect your eyes from bright light."

Han put them on, looking around with an amused expression. "Interesting. They dim the world, yet I can still see clearly. These will be useful for meditation under the noon sun."

Jon couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the ancient cultivator wearing modern sunglasses. "Alright, old man. You've got yourself a deal. When do we start with the air techniques?"

"Right away," he said firmly.

*****

Han settled into a cross-legged position, gesturing for Jon to do the same. The old cultivator's face became serene, yet his eyes held a spark of excitement behind the sunglasses.

"Tell me, disciple, what do you know of the Dao?" Han asked, his voice carrying on the gentle mountain breeze.

Jon furrowed his brow, recalling what he'd read in countless xianxia novels. "Well, it's the way of all things, right? The fundamental principle that governs the universe. Cultivators try to understand and align themselves with the Dao to gain power and insight."

Han nodded slowly. "You're not wrong, but it's far more than that." He raised his hand, and a small whirlwind formed above his palm.

"The Dao is not just a concept to be understood, but a living, breathing essence to be experienced. It's in every blade of grass, every gust of wind, every drop of rain. It's the rhythm of the cosmos and the silence between heartbeats."

The whirlwind in Han's hand grew, encompassing both of them in a gentle vortex. "To truly grasp the Dao of Air, you must become the air itself. Feel its freedom, its ever-changing nature. Air can be a gentle caress or a devastating storm. It can give life or snuff it out. It's invisible yet omnipresent."

Han stood, pulling Jon up with him. "Watch closely," he said, his voice taking on a mystical quality. He moved his arms in a fluid motion, and suddenly, the air around them came alive. Jon could see currents and eddies, swirling patterns that had always been there but were now visible to his eyes.

"The Dao of Air is about understanding the nature of change and adaptability," Han continued. "Air flows around obstacles, finds the path of least resistance. It can be compressed, expanded, heated, or cooled, yet it always returns to its nature."

With a flick of his wrist, Han created a vacuum in front of them. Jon felt the air rush past him to fill the void. "Air abhors emptiness. It seeks balance, always. This is a fundamental truth of its Dao."

Han then demonstrated how to manipulate air pressure, creating areas of high and low pressure. Clouds formed and dissipated at his command. "The weather itself bends to the will of one who truly understands the Dao of Air," he explained.

Next, Han showed Jon how to use air to enhance his movements, creating cushions of air to soften landings or propel himself forward. He demonstrated how to use air currents to carry sounds from far away or to muffle nearby noises.

"But remember," Han said, his voice growing serious, "mastering techniques is not the same as understanding the Dao. A technique is a single note. The Dao is the entire symphony."

He placed a hand on Jon's shoulder. "To truly progress, you must not just learn to manipulate air, but to think like air, to embody its principles in every aspect of your cultivation and your life."

Jon closed his eyes, focusing intently on Han's instructions. He reached deep within himself, feeling the flow of qi that he had only recently become aware of. With careful concentration, he attempted to guide that energy outward, trying to shape it into something new.

At first, nothing happened. Jon furrowed his brow, sweat beading on his forehead as he strained to make the connection between his internal energy and the air around him.

"Relax, disciple," Han's voice came softly. "Do not force it. Air is about flow and freedom. Let your qi become as formless as the wind itself."

Taking a deep breath, Jon loosened his mental grip on his qi. To his surprise, he felt a subtle shift. A small gust of wind, no larger than a whisper, formed between his palms.

"Good," Han encouraged. "Now, feel the essence of air. Its lightness, its constant motion."

Jon focused on the tiny breeze he had created. As he did, he became acutely aware of the air around him - not just as empty space, but as a dynamic, ever-moving substance. The gust between his hands grew stronger, swirling into a small vortex.

Excitement surged through Jon. He could feel every eddy and current within the miniature whirlwind. As his awareness expanded, so did the vortex. It grew larger, enveloping his arms, then his entire body.

"The Dao of Air is the way of change and adaptation," Han's voice echoed. "It fills all spaces, yet can be compressed or expanded. Understand this paradox."

As Jon pondered these words, a realization struck him. "It's like... like a fluid dynamics system," he muttered, his eyes still closed. "Air responds to differences in pressure, temperature, density. It's always seeking equilibrium, but that very search keeps it in constant motion."

Han hummed, though he seemed puzzled by some of Jon's terminology. "An interesting perspective, disciple. Continue."

As his comprehension deepened, Jon felt a surge of power. The whirlwind around him grew stronger, lifting him slightly off the ground. He gasped, his eyes flying open in shock and exhilaration.

"Excellent, disciple. You're beginning to grasp the true nature of air."