Zombie World: Starting as an apprentice of the Thunder King

"Junior brother, I've noticed you've really gotten a bit cocky lately!"

Shi Shaojian slowly stepped forward and put his arm around Lin Bei's shoulder. "Actually, I can understand some of your thoughts. Do you think that with your master protecting you, you can ignore all the powerful figures in the world?"

Lin Bei remained silent, wondering if it was really true.

Since becoming Shi Jian's disciple, he has lost his reverence for the world.

They felt that Shi Jian could handle anything, and if that didn't work, they could call on the patriarch, since there were people all over Maoshan anyway.

With this mindset, Lin Bei gradually developed the feeling that he was the most important person in the world, second only to the heavens and the earth, and third only to Shi Jian.

Lin Bei kept his head down the whole way, feeling dejected, while Shi Shaojian laughed and joked beside him, trying to distract him.

The three of them slowly made their way back, taking the opportunity to experience the local customs and culture.

Half a month later, the three of them returned to Green Bamboo Mountain. At this time, Lin Bei had returned to his usual carefree personality, but he had become much more mature.

The moment he pushed open the mountain gate, the familiar scent of bamboo wafted towards him. Lin Bei took a deep breath and relaxed completely.

"Finally home!"

Shi Shaojian also slumped down on the stone steps in the courtyard, his limbs outstretched, looking up at the sky.

"I'm exhausted... I've never walked this far in my life..."

Lin Bei walked over and kicked him. "Stop slacking off. Go to the kitchen and boil some water. You stink."

"Why don't you go and burn it?"

"My magic recovers faster than yours, I'll just sit for a while."

"You're just bragging."

The two brothers exchanged a few words, but in the end, Lin Bei went to boil water, while Shi Jian went straight into the main hall and sat there for a full hour before coming out.

For the next month, life on Qingzhu Mountain returned to its usual tranquility.

In addition to his daily cultivation, Lin Bei now meditates and recites the Huang Ting Jing (Yellow Court Classic) every night!

After the battle at the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave, the names of Maoshan Shijian and his two disciples spread far and wide.

Not only the cultivation world in the north, but even several major sects in the south have heard about this.

Shi Jian, with his peak Earth Master cultivation, fought against the Corpse Demon, who was at the half-step Celestial Master level, and beat him into a dead dog. In the end, the Quanzhen Patriarch descended and took him away.

His two disciples were also deeply influenced by Shi Jian's teachings. The two young men, only eighteen or nineteen years old, killed the fierce ghosts in front of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave, making them howl and waile. They threw out talismans like they were free, which was incredibly extravagant!

Maoshan Shangqing Palace!

Master Qingwei sat in the main hall, holding a letter that Xuanzhen had sent back from the north. After reading it, he laughed.

"His two disciples performed admirably in the battle of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave." Master Qingwei placed the letter on the table, stroked his beard, and said, "That kid Shi Jian certainly has a good eye."

Xuanzhen, standing to the side, also smiled and said, "Master, our eldest brother has made a good choice in taking on this disciple. A pure Yang Dao Body is one in ten thousand. It is our Maoshan's good fortune to have encountered such a person."

"Luck is luck, but the ability to teach is what matters." Master Qingwei stood up, took a few steps with his hands behind his back, and said, "Shi Jian's temper is so bad that even his junior brothers can't stand it. Yet he managed to teach his disciples to be like this. It's clear how steadfast these two are. They are truly rare."

"Master, should we have our eldest brother bring his two disciples back?"

Master Qingwei thought for a moment and nodded. "Send a message to Shi Jian, asking him to bring Lin Bei back next spring so that he can recognize the patriarch and receive a formal ordination."

"Yes, Master!"

By the time the news reached Qingzhushan, it was already late autumn.

Most of the bamboo leaves on the mountain had turned yellow, and they fell down with a rustling sound when the wind blew. Lin Bei spent the entire morning sweeping the fallen leaves in the yard before he could barely tidy it up.

Shi Jian stood at the entrance of the main room, holding the letter in his hand and looking at it for a long time, his face expressionless.

Lin Bei finished sweeping the yard and ran over. "Master, what's up?"

"Come back to Maoshan with me next spring." Shi Jian tucked the letter into his sleeve. "The sect leader wants to see you."

Sect Leader? Isn't that Shi Jian's master?

Lin Bei was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. "Really? Back to Maoshan? To see our grandmaster?"

"Um."

"That's wonderful! I've wanted to visit Maoshan for ages! I've heard that the Shangqing Palace on Maoshan is several times more magnificent than the main hall of the Quanzhen Sect, is that true?"

Shi Jian glanced at him and said, "Why think so much? There's still plenty of time. We'll leave next spring."

Lin Bei excitedly ran back to his room, shouting as he ran, "Senior brother! Let's go back to Maoshan next spring! Grandmaster wants to see us!"

Shi Shaojian peeked out of the room, his face also filled with surprise, "Really?"

"It's true! Master said so!"

"Hahahaha! I'm going back to Maoshan too!" Shi Shaojian jumped up and down in the courtyard with joy.

Shi Jian stood at the entrance of the main room, watching his two apprentices jumping and hopping around, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

He tucked the letter into his sleeve, turned and walked into the main hall, sat down on the prayer mat, and closed his eyes to meditate.

Winter comes early to Qingzhu Mountain. Just after November, the bamboo on the mountain is covered with a thick layer of frost, and life on the mountain becomes increasingly cold and desolate. Even the roosters rarely crow anymore.

Lin Bei would stay in his room drawing talismans until midnight every day. He dared not touch the blue talismans anymore, but he became more and more skilled at drawing the yellow talismans.

He drew hundreds of talismans to ward off evil spirits and suppress ghosts, stuffing the bundle until it was bulging, like a mobile arsenal.

Sometimes when Shi Shaojian came in and saw the talismans scattered all over the floor, his eyelids would twitch. "Are you preparing for war?"

"What if we encounter demons or monsters on the road? It's better to be prepared." Lin Bei didn't even look up. "Draw a few more, just in case we need them."

Shi Shaojian pursed his lips and obediently went back to his room to draw talismans.

A heavy snow fell in December, covering the entire Qingzhu Mountain in silvery white. Lin Bei stood at the mountain gate, looking at the snow covering the entire mountain, and couldn't help but wrap his Taoist robe tighter around himself.

Just as I was gazing at the snowy scenery in a daze, a figure walked briskly over from the mountain path.

"Junior brother, what are you looking at so intently?"

Although the weather outside was cold, it was almost negligible for those who were practicing cultivation.

Lin Bei snapped out of his reverie and smiled faintly, "Senior brother, another year has passed!"

Shi Shaojian was taken aback, and somewhat wistful, before changing the subject: "Junior brother, how long until you break through to the late stage of Daoist Master?"

"It'll take three or four months, I guess. The later you go, the slower your cultivation becomes. You've been stuck at the early stage of Daoist cultivation for quite a while now!"

Shi Shaojian was somewhat dejected. "Yes, so far, the mana in my dantian is only a little over two hundred strands!"

Lin Bei patted Shi Shaojian on the shoulder and said nothing more. The two brothers sat in front of the mountain gate, quietly watching the snowflakes dance.

Winter has passed and spring has arrived; in the blink of an eye, it's March.

The bamboo on Qingzhu Mountain has sprouted new buds, and the snow in the yard has long since melted!

Lin Bei was practicing his sword in the courtyard, and he had already mastered the first move of the Thunder Sword Technique.

With a thrust of the sword, the lightning on the tip, though still as thick as a wrist, was much more condensed than it had been six months ago. It exploded into a blue-white spark in the sunlight, splitting half a bamboo into charred fragments.

Shi Jian came out of the main hall, carrying two bundles in his hands.

"Stop practicing, pack your things, let's go."

Lin Bei sheathed his sword, wiped the sweat from his brow, and asked, "Master, are we leaving already?"

"Yes, it will take a month to travel there, so let's set off as soon as possible."

Shi Shaojian also ran out of the room, carrying a large bundle on his back and a peach wood sword in his hand.

"Master, my bundle is full of talismans, enough for us to use for the rest of the journey."

Lin Bei glanced at him. "You think those few are enough? Watch mine."

He went back into the house, grabbed two large bundles, and put them on the ground with two muffled thuds. Judging from their weight, they must have weighed at least twenty pounds. Shi Shaojian's lips twitched as he looked at them: "Are you eating talismans like they're food?"

"Just in case," Lin Bei chuckled.

Shi Jian's eyes widened. Why did these two apprentices love drawing talismans so much? They practically wanted to fill sacks with them!

Without saying a word, he walked out of the mountain gate first.

Lin Bei and Shi Shaojian quickly picked up their bundles and followed. The three of them walked down the mountain path. Lin Bei looked back at Qingzhu Mountain one last time, feeling a mix of emotions.

"Let's go! To Maoshan!"