Zombie World: Starting as an apprentice of the Thunder King

The morning mist over Qingzhu Mountain had not yet dissipated when three figures began to descend the stone steps.

Lin Bei carried two bulging bundles on his back and held the Demon-Slaying Sword in his hand, his steps quickening rapidly.

Shi Shaojian followed behind him, also carrying a large bundle on his back, with a leftover coarse grain cake from yesterday in his mouth, chewing as he walked.

Shi Jian walked at the front, his gray Taoist robe fluttering slightly in the morning breeze. His steps were steady, and he carried only a small cloth bag in his hand, which was in stark contrast to his two disciples who were moving house behind him.

"Master, why didn't you take anything with you?" Lin Bei asked, catching up with him. "What if we run out of things on the way?"

"We'll buy more if we need more." Shi Jian said without turning his head. "Aren't you two tired carrying so much?"

"I'm used to it!" Lin Bei patted the bag on his shoulder. "These are all treasures; I'd be heartbroken to lose even one of them."

Shi Shaojian leaned closer: "Junior brother, how many talismans did you actually put in those two bundles? You said you had over a hundred left after coming back from the Quanzhen Sect, and you've drawn several hundred more in the past few months. I'm afraid it's close to a thousand, isn't it?"

"Not many, just over eight hundred," Lin Bei chuckled. "Enough for the three of us to use for a while."

"Over eight hundred?" Shi Shaojian nearly spat out the biscuit in his mouth. "You drew over eight hundred talismans? Have you been drawing talismans all these past few months besides your regular cultivation?"

"Otherwise what? What do you think I do all day cooped up in my room?" Lin Bei said matter-of-factly. "It's better to be prepared. If I run into something tough on the road, I can just throw out some talismans and run away. It's much easier."

"Besides, Fu makes me feel safe!"

Shi Jian, who was ahead, raised an eyebrow slightly but did not speak. This disciple was good in every way, except for his almost obsessive fanaticism for talismans. He carried them everywhere he went, as if he wanted to carry the entire warehouse on his back.

He used all the silver dollars he had to buy materials for talismans, and even borrowed some from Shi Shaojian.

The three of them walked along the mountain road for most of the day until they reached the town at the foot of the mountain.

The town was still the same as before, with people coming and going on the main street and shouts rising and falling. As soon as Lin Bei entered the town, people greeted him. Aunt Wang, who was selling steamed buns by the roadside, saw him and waved.

"Master Lin! Master Shi! Long time no see! Are you going on a long trip?"

"Hello Aunt Wang, we're going to Maoshan." Lin Bei walked over with a grin. "Are the steamed buns still warm?"

"Hot and fresh out of the steamer!" Aunt Wang lifted the lid of the steamer, and a cloud of steam rose up, filling the air with the aroma of meat. "Please have a taste, it's free."

Lin Bei didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up three meat buns, handed one to Shi Jian and one to Shi Shaojian, and took a big bite for himself.

The buns had thin skins and generous fillings; one bite and the meat juices burst out, scalding him so much that he gasped for breath.

"Delicious! Aunt Wang's cooking skills have improved!"

"I'm glad you like it, Master Lin. Be careful on the road. When you get to Maoshan, offer incense to the people of our town." Aunt Wang smiled so much that her eyes narrowed into slits.

With a steamed bun in his mouth, Lin Bei mumbled a reply and continued walking forward with Shi Jian.

Once you leave the town, the road gradually becomes deserted, with only a few scattered wheat seedlings growing in the fields on both sides of the mountain road.

The three of them walked all morning and found a big tree to rest under.

Lin Bei leaned against the tree trunk, took out a water bag from his bundle and took a couple of gulps, when he suddenly remembered something.

"Master, I saw people from the Celestial Master's Mansion performing the Golden Light Divine Incantation some time ago. Does our Maoshan sect have a similar incantation?"

Shi Jian sat on a blue stone, holding a water bag in his hand, and glanced at him. "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

"I've been thinking about my methods lately. Although I have a lot of talismans, they are ultimately external things."

"Spells like the Golden Light Mantra, when cultivated to a high level, are far more effective than talismans, providing protection, exorcising evil, and deterring evil spirits—they have it all."

Lin Bei put down the water bag. "I was thinking that since the Eight Great Divine Incantations are the foundation of Taoism, they must each have their own wonderful uses. I want to learn more about them."

Shi Shaojian also came over, sat cross-legged on the ground, and pricked up his ears to listen.

Shi Jian remained silent for a while, then put down the water pouch.

"The Eight Great Divine Incantations are the fundamental incantations practiced by all schools of Taoism."

"It is divided into the Purification Mantra, Purification Mantra, Purification Mantra, Earth Purification Mantra, Purification of Heaven and Earth Mantra, Golden Light Mantra, Purification Incense Mantra, and Profound Essence Mantra, collectively known as the Eight Great Mantras."

"Each school selects the essence to practice, but the truly superior skill requires practicing all eight mantras simultaneously and integrating them into a coherent whole."

Lin Bei's gaze froze, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Cultivating all eight curses simultaneously? Wouldn't that make one invincible?"

Shi Jian glanced at him and said coldly, "Hmph, invincible under heaven? You wish! The Eight Great Divine Incantations may have wonderful uses, but they are ultimately just the foundation. No matter how solid the foundation is, it's all for naught if your cultivation is insufficient."

"The Purification Mantra cleanses you of impurities and protects you from evil spirits, but if you encounter a being of the level of a Ghost King, can the Purification Mantra alone withstand it?"

Lin Bei chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

Shi Jian continued, "Besides the Golden Light Mantra, the Celestial Master's Mansion also mainly practices the Purification Mantra, and their Earth God lineage mainly practices the Earth God Mantra, which is the foundation of their sect."

"The Quanzhen School primarily practices the Purification Mantra and the Incense Offering Mantra. The Purification Mantra can calm the mind and dispel distracting thoughts, while the Incense Offering Mantra is used to communicate with deities and pray for blessings and ward off disasters."

"Our Maoshan sect mainly cultivates the Purification Mantra to expel the impurities from oneself. It can be used before cultivation to calm the mind and focus the spirit, and can be used to dispel evil influences when fighting enemies."

"The Shenxiao Sect cultivates the Purifying Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra, while the Louguan Sect cultivates the Profound Essence Mantra!"

"Each of the eight divine incantations has its own emphasis and wonderful uses. Once cultivated to the highest level, one will benefit from them for a lifetime."

Shi Shaojian's eyes lit up. "Master, when can I learn the purification mantra of Maoshan?"

"We'll talk about it when you break through to the Mage realm." Shi Jian said expressionlessly. "With your current cultivation level of an early-stage Taoist priest, it's a waste of time to learn it. You won't even be able to purify a little ghost when you unleash it."

Shi Shaojian's excitement immediately vanished. Well, what he meant was that he was still a novice and there was no point in learning from him.

Lin Bei was still pondering Shi Jian's words when a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

"Master, what about the Great Dipper Mantra? I seem to remember there's another one besides the Eight Great Mantras, the Great Dipper Mantra?"

Shi Jian's eyes suddenly sharpened as he stared directly at Lin Bei.

"The Great Dipper Mantra? Where did you hear that from?"

Lin Bei felt a chill run down his spine under that gaze and quickly waved his hand.

"I...I was just thinking about it randomly. I think I saw it in some book, but I can't remember exactly."

Shi Jian stared at him for a long while before slowly withdrawing his gaze.

"The Great Divine Mantra of the Big Dipper is not one of the Eight Great Divine Mantras, but it holds an extremely high position in Taoism. It is the core mantra of the Tianxin School and is extremely powerful, capable of breaking all evil spirits and demonic spells."

"The teachings passed down by the founder of the Tianxin School are no less valuable than the secret teachings of other schools."