The AO-1's four wings buzzed, fpping faster. Dust swirled, and dry leaves were blown as nearby trees rustled. Slowly, the ornithopter rose, hovering steadily before gaining altitude. Once high enough, it began moving forward, gradually picking up speed and soaring into the distance.

  Inside the cockpit, Orion sat in the back, controlling the AO-1, while Wang Lingxin occupied the front seat. Because of her small size, Orion had modified the chair, raising it so she could get a better view. The seatbelt had also been adjusted to fit her properly, though the end result made it look as if she were tightly bound to the seat.

  "Whoa… Master! We're flying! We're really flying!" Wang Lingxin excimed, craning her neck to peer below. She pressed her face close to the cockpit canopy, eyes wide with excitement.

  She looked left and right, grinning as she took in the vast, starry sky. The dark night stretched endlessly around them, adorned with countless shimmering stars. Unfortunately, since they were flying at night, the ground below was nothing but darkness. Even the nearby vilge was barely visible.

  Orion piloted the AO-1 carefully, keeping its altitude stable. With the ck of sensors and avionics, it was safer to stay high and avoid flying too close to the ground—especially during the first flight, at night, with a child onboard. On Earth, this would be considered reckless, but Orion had made extensive preparations.

  The ornithopter had been strengthened with inscriptions, and in case of a crash, it could deploy an energy shield strong enough to withstand the impact. There were also makeshift airbags—crafted from slime skin and filled with slime liquid when deployed—to absorb shocks. Additionally, an emergency parachute system was in pce to slow the AO-1's descent if something went wrong. With all these precautions, Orion concluded that Wang Lingxin would be safe, even in an emergency.

  As the AO-1 gained speed, Orion began performing simple maneuvers while recording performance data and monitoring flight parameters. Meanwhile, Wang Lingxin was completely immersed in the experience, enjoying every moment.

  "Master, can the ornithopter do something else? Like a bird—whoosh, whizz!" Wang Lingxin waved her hands, mimicking aerial movements.

  "Of course," Orion replied. "It can do even more than that. But I need to start with some basic maneuvers first. Are you sure you're ready? It might be scary for you."

  "Really? Master, then do it! Don't worry, I won't be scared!" Wang Lingxin decred confidently, her eyes shining with anticipation.

  "Alright," Orion replied.

  After starting with simple maneuvers, Orion gradually moved on to more complex ones. Seeing that Wang Lingxin was not only fine but thoroughly enjoying the experience, and that the AO-1 was performing well, Orion pushed further, executing more advanced aerial maneuvers. Wang Lingxin's excited ughter and thrilled excmations filled the cockpit.

  "AAAaaaaa... hahaha, that was fun! Do it again!""Hahaha, weee!""Master, master! We're spinning—spinning! Hahaha!""Hahaha... Master, we're upside down!""Ugh... uhh... hah... hah... wow, that felt weird!" she gasped, trying to steady her breath. The sensation of experiencing high G for the first time was strange but exhirating.

  "It seems you're really enjoying this," Orion noted, controlling the AO-1 as it completed a series of maneuvers. Satisfied with the ornithopter's performance, it observed Wang Lingxin, who showed no fear—only pure excitement.

  "Hehehe, that was amazing!" Wang Lingxin cheered.

  Orion gnced toward the distant eastern horizon, where the first light of dawn was beginning to break, then checked its internal clock. "Time to head back."

  "We should do this again! Also, also—I want to try flying it myself!" Wang Lingxin said eagerly.

  "Sure. I'll teach you how to control it ter," Orion promised.

  The AO-1 turned and accelerated toward home, while Wang Lingxin chattered excitedly about her experience, reliving every thrilling moment of the flight.

  The AO-1 descended slowly, nding smoothly in front of the house. Though dawn had begun to break on the horizon during their flight, the world below was still cloaked in darkness. Orion stepped out of the cockpit and helped Wang Lingxin down.

  "Today, you don't need to do morning exercise or study," Orion said.

  "What? Really?" Wang Lingxin's eyes widened in surprise.

  "Yes. Go get some more sleep."

  Having been awake since midnight, Wang Lingxin was more than happy to comply. She entered the house, then yawned as she climbed the stairs, heading straight to her bedroom to catch up on rest.

  Meanwhile, Orion stored the AO-1 inside its best storage ring—the one with the rgest capacity—before heading to the underground workshop. Inside, another ornithopter, the UO-1 (Utility Ornithopter), was taking shape, though it was only about 40% complete.

  Orion began working on the UO-1, carefully assembling its components and focusing on refining the structure, ensuring every piece fit perfectly.

  Hours ter, Wang Lingxin called Orion for breakfast. Setting aside its tools, Orion left the workshop to prepare the meal.

  The sun was already high in the sky, and Orion was busy in the kitchen. By the time breakfast was ready, Wang Lingxin had already taken a bath and was seated at the table, eagerly enjoying the spread: freshly grilled fish, Spirit Beast meat stew, steamed buns, stir-fried vegetables, and a bowl of nourishing soup.

  Each dish was carefully prepared by Orion. While it had initially relied on restaurant food to feed Wang Lingxin, it had gradually learned to cook—and improved steadily over time.

  Orion wasn't sure how good its cooking tasted, but it ensured the meals were nutritionally banced. According to Wang Lingxin, the food was delicious—though she still preferred restaurant food.

  After the te breakfast, Orion pnned to bring Wang Lingxin to Fengxian. It was almost out of materials needed to build the UO-1.

  Orion moved swiftly through the forest, leaping nimbly from branch to branch. Inscriptions on its body reduced its weight, allowing for long, effortless jumps.

  "Master, why don’t we fly to the city using the ornihopper?" Wang Lingxin asked while being carried by Orion on its back.

  "The ornithopter is still new. There are things that need to be worked on and improved," Orion expined.

  More importantly, Orion didn’t want others to know about the ornithopter. It also reminded Wang Lingxin not to mention it to anyone.

  "Understood! Don’t worry, Master—I won’t tell anyone about the ornihopper. But you have to promise to teach me how to fly it!" Wang Lingxin grinned.

  Above, the SO-1 drone flew ahead, scouting the path and monitoring the surroundings. Through the drone's feed, Orion spotted a skirmish several kilometers ahead.

  Two groups of cultivators were locked in a fierce battle. All wore masks and kept their bodies covered. Bdes—swords and sabers—cshed fiercely, while daggers, flying needles, and other hidden weapons were thrown in all directions.

  Each cultivator executed their own combat and movement techniques. Their weapons were enveloped in various colors of light, sshing and thrusting with incredible speed, leaving behind streaks of afterimages. Wind bdes howled across the battlefield. Pilrs of fire erupted into the sky. A jet of water shot out, slicing through a nearby boulder.

  Talismans were also used throughout the battle, creating protective barriers, triggering explosions, and unleashing fire, lightning, poison, and thick smoke.

  Orion activated its multi-band phased array antenna, scanning for signals. Several transmissions came from the direction of the fight—some familiar. It recognized a few as belonging to Liu family cultivators, and others matched signals it had previously detected in Fengxian, though their exact identities remained unknown. The rest were unfamiliar.

  Seeing that the fight was nearing its end and that the Liu family seemed to have the upper hand, Orion altered its route, taking a detour to avoid unnecessary attention.

  In a clearing deep in the forest, the battle reached a temporary halt. Both sides pulled back, facing each other warily. Blood stained the ground, and injuries marked every fighter, but none had fallen.

  One group wore matching bck garments, while the other appeared in mismatched clothes, posing as bandits.

  "Drop the act. We both know you're no bandits," said the leader of the bck-cd group, pulling off his mask. "Wu Zheng—your sloppy swordpy is too easy to recognize."

  Wu Zheng smirked and removed his own mask. "Liu Ping, you've got sharp eyes as always."

  "What's your Wu family pnning? Looking to start a war with the Liu family? If so, we'll gdly accompany you to the end," Liu Ping warned coldly. Behind him, his men tightened their grip on their weapons.

  "No no no, not at all," Wu Zheng replied, casual as ever.

  "Then expin why your people keep attacking Liu family businesses," Liu Ping demanded.

  The Liu family had suffered a string of assaults—on shops, caravans, farmnds and other businesses. In response, they assigned hidden guards to protect their assets. Liu Ping had followed one such caravan from the shadows and intercepted a suspicious group that was about to unch an attack—only to discover they were Wu family cultivators in disguise.

  "Actually, our Wu family wants to cooperate with your Liu family—but your side keeps rejecting our offer. Wouldn't it be better to work together instead of fighting?" Wu Zheng said

  "So that's why you're attacking us? Do you think my Liu family are a bunch of vegetarians? If it's a fight you want, then a fight you'll get! We'll crush your Wu family—and as for you, I'll chop your head off right here!" Liu Ping growled.

  "Hey hey, I'm just following orders here," Wu Zheng said with a shrug. "Well, now that you're here, I guess I don't need to continue my mission. Here—pass this to your patriarch. Our Wu family really does want to cooperate with your Liu family. Let the higher-ups decide. We grunts just do the dirty work."

  He tossed a scroll toward Liu Ping, then gave a signal. His subordinates scattered, vanishing into the trees.

  "Later," Wu Zheng said with a smirk, disappearing after them.

  Liu Ping caught the scroll, clenching his jaw in frustration.

  "Leader, should we pursue them?" one of his men asked.

  "No. Let's head back," Liu Ping ordered.

  ...

  Wu Zheng and his subordinates moved through the forest.

  "Is it really okay to abandon the mission and just head back like this?" one of his subordinates asked, unsure.

  "Then what do you suggest?" Wu Zheng replied calmly, almost disinterested. "Or are you confident you can defeat Liu Ping and his men?"

  "Ugh..." the subordinate had no answer.

  Their original mission had been to ambush the Liu family caravan, but they were ambushed instead by Liu family cultivators, who turned out to be quite strong, thus failing to continue their mission.

  "Is it true the higher-ups really want to cooperate with the Liu family?" another one asked.

  "How would I know?" Wu Zheng said. "Right now, the Liu family is like a big, fat piece of meat—juicy and tempting. Many factions are eyeing them."

  "Yeah, their new restaurant is a huge hit. They must be raking in a ton of Spirit Stones," one subordinate added, eyes gleaming with greed.

  "Tsk tsk tsk... So, what if they have a mountain of Spirit Stones?" Wu Zheng said. "What really matters is the secret behind that restaurant. Their food boosts cultivation and has all sorts of benefits. There’s got to be something big behind it."

  "Damn Liu family... Their restaurant is hurting our business. If we manage to uncover their secret, the Wu family could make a fortune," another said.

  "You still don’t get it," Wu Zheng said, eyes fshing with a sharp glint. "Think about it—if the food they sell can give such results, then what about the food they keep for themselves? It must be even more potent. The Liu family's elders have shown noticeable improvements in cultivation tely. It can’t be a coincidence."

  What draws the attention of cultivators more than Spirit Stones is a way to improve their cultivation. Spirit Stones are useful, yes—but strength is what truly belongs to you. No matter how many Spirit Stones you have, how much can you really convert into power? Worse, that kind of wealth attracts envy. And if you don’t have the strength to protect it...

  The man is innocent, but his wealth is his crime.