Zombie World: Starting as an apprentice of the Thunder King

Lin Bei chuckled and asked, "Uncle-Master, do all the disciples of Maoshan cultivate on the mountain?"

"Not entirely." Xuanzhen put down his chopsticks. "The rule of Maoshan is that after a disciple enters the sect, he must first cultivate on the mountain for three years. After three years, he can go down the mountain to travel or stay on the mountain to continue his cultivation."

"There are quite a few like your master who set up their own temples outside the mountain after leaving the mountain. However, no matter where they go, as long as they are still disciples of Maoshan, they must abide by the precepts of Maoshan."

"What's this about receiving the ordination certificate?" Shi Shaojian asked.

"Receiving the ordination certificate means officially obtaining the status of a Maoshan disciple," Xuanzhen explained. "When you became disciples at Qingzhu Mountain, you should have already received the initial ordination certificate, but that was only the beginning."

"The formal ordination of Maoshan disciples must be presided over by the sect leader himself, who will bestow upon you the formal ordination certificate and token."

"Only after receiving the ordination certificate can you be considered to have truly entered the Maoshan sect."

Lin Bei felt a surge of anticipation. A formal talisman was far more official than the wooden plaque he had obtained at Green Bamboo Mountain.

After breakfast, Xuanzhen led the two of them on a walk around the mountain.

It took a whole morning to walk from Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace to Yuanfu Wanning Palace, as well as the Sutra Repository and the Alchemy Room.

The more Lin Bei looked, the more he felt that Maoshan had a profound foundation. Any one of the magical artifacts hidden in Yuanfu Wanning Palace was far superior to the Ghost-Slaying Sword he used on Qingzhu Mountain.

The library was filled with thread-bound books, ranging from various talismans and spells to feng shui principles, all neatly categorized and arranged.

"These books were left behind by our Maoshan lineage masters," Xuanzhen said, pointing to the bookshelves. "Some of them have been passed down for hundreds of years; even other sects can't find them."

Lin Bei looked at the old books, his heart itching with desire: "Uncle-Master, may I borrow these books to read?"

Xuanzhen laughed and said, "As long as you have time, feel free to look at it. The rule of Maoshan is that books cannot be lent out, but you can look at them in the Sutra Repository as you please. Back when your master was on the mountain, he would come here every few days."

Lin Bei's eyes lit up. He made up his mind that he would spend all his free time in the Sutra Repository during his stay in Maoshan.

Over the next few days, Lin Bei explored every corner of Maoshan.

He visited the main hall of Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace to pay respects to the Three Mao Ancestors, explored the entire treasure pavilion of Yuanfu Wanning Palace, and even wandered around the abandoned thatched huts on the back mountain. Every place exuded the atmosphere of time's sedimentation.

That evening, Lin Bei was sitting in his room, engrossed in reading "A Comprehensive Explanation of Talismans" which he had borrowed from the Sutra Repository, when there was a knock on the door.

Who is it?

"It's me," Shi Jian's voice came from outside.

Lin Bei quickly opened the door, and Shi Jian stood at the door with a small cloth bag in his hand.

"Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), go to Chongxi Wanshou Palace to receive your ordination. Here are your robes and token; change into them and wear them tomorrow."

Lin Bei took it; the cloth bag was heavy.

He opened it and saw a brand new blue Taoist robe inside, with silver-white cloud patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs, the stitches fine and exquisite.

On his Taoist robe was a palm-sized wooden plaque, similar to the one he had obtained at Qingzhu Mountain, but much more finely crafted. The front was engraved with the two seal characters "Maoshan," and the back was engraved with his name and the date he entered the Taoist path.

"This is much more impressive than the one at Qingzhu Mountain." Lin Bei looked at the wooden plaque over and over again.

Shi Jian stood at the door, looking at him like this, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"There are many rules for receiving the ordination tomorrow. When you arrive at Chongxi Wanshou Palace, do not speak carelessly. Do whatever the headmaster tells you to do."

"Yes, Master."

Shi Jian turned to leave, then paused. "After you receive your ordination tomorrow, I'll take you to see your martial uncles the day after."

"Master Four Eyes is here too?"

"He might not be so," Shi Jian said calmly, "but I'll have to go there sooner or later."

After Shi Jian left, Lin Bei closed the door, unfolded the blue Taoist robe, and compared it to his own body.

The size is just right; I don't know if Master Xuanzhen measured it in advance or just grabbed it randomly.

He touched the cloud pattern embroidered on his clothes, feeling a little sentimental.

Along the way, from Qingzhu Mountain to Zhongnan Mountain and then to Maoshan, he has become an apprentice, learned skills, slayed demons and monsters, fought in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave... Before he knew it, he had reached this point.

"After receiving the ordination tomorrow, I, Lin Bei, will be a proper disciple of Maoshan."

He folded his Taoist robe and placed it at the head of the bed, then sat cross-legged on the bed and began to meditate.

The magical power in his dantian circulated slowly, and the spiritual energy from the outside world poured into his body, gradually strengthening the more than five hundred strands of magical power.

It won't be long before I break through to the late stage of the Taoist Priest realm. After another year or two of hard work, once my magical power is complete, I can start trying to reach the Mage realm.

As night deepened, a few more chimes rang out from the distant clock tower, melodious and lingering, echoing through the valley.

Lin Bei closed his eyes slightly, his breathing was steady and long, and his mind was focused on his dantian. With each breath, spiritual energy flowed continuously through his meridians.

The next morning, the bells of Maoshan rang even more long than usual, striking nine times in total. The sound pierced through the clouds and shattered the rocks, echoing through the mountains for a long time before gradually subsiding.

Lin Bei stood in the room, putting on his brand-new blue Taoist robe. The silver-white cloud patterns on the lapels and cuffs shimmered softly in the morning light.

He tied the wooden plaque with the words "Maoshan" engraved on it to his waist, tidied his hair, and only pushed open the door after confirming that there was nothing wrong.

Shi Shaojian was already standing at the door, also wearing a brand new blue Taoist robe, with the same wooden plaque hanging at his waist. He looked unusually solemn, without any joking or laughing.

"Let's go."

The two strode through the corridor and headed towards the Chongxi Wanshou Palace.

Along the way, he encountered many Maoshan disciples, who stopped to nod and greet him. Lin Bei responded to each one, secretly memorizing their faces.

Chongxi Wanshou Palace is located at the foot of Qianshan Mountain. It is shorter than Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace, but it is equally grand in scale.

The palace was built against the mountain, and in front of it was a wide bluestone square. In the center of the square stood a huge bronze cauldron, inside which burned three sticks of sandalwood as thick as a child's arm.

When the two entered the main hall, dozens of elders were already standing inside.

Two rows of prayer cushions were neatly laid out on both sides of the main hall. The elders sat cross-legged on the cushions, wearing Taoist robes of various colors, each exuding a calm and dignified aura.

Lin Bei secretly looked around, feeling extremely shocked.

He was, after all, a cultivator at the Daoist Master level, and he could sense that the magical power fluctuations emanating from these elders were all incredibly profound, with the weakest being at the Human Master level.

There were also a few powerful geomancers, and he couldn't see through the cultivation levels of some of them at all; their auras were as deep and silent as an abyss!

Among the dozens of elders, the vast majority treated Lin Bei and Shi Shaojian with goodwill, smiling and nodding at them. Several older elders even waved to him with kind expressions.

However, five or six elders remained calm, glancing at the two of them briefly before looking away. Their faces were expressionless, showing neither malice nor goodwill, as if they didn't care about the two new disciples at all.

Lin Bei felt a chill run down his spine; this was probably an elder from Chongxi Wanshou Palace.

Shi Jian once said that the Chongxi Wanshou Palace lineage is the Qingwei School, which shares the same origin as the Jingyi School but has its own lineage. Therefore, the cold attitude of these individuals is not surprising.