Chapter 13: Gathering of Masters (Please Continue Reading)

Uncle Feng remained silent for a moment before saying thank you. He then stared at Lin Bei and asked, "I'd like to ask, given your wealth and status, and knowing that zombies exist, you should be doing everything in your power to avoid them. Why take the initiative to get involved?"

Lin Bei shrugged and replied, "My foundation is here in Hong Kong. Unless I abandon all my businesses, I have to find a way to resolve this. Besides, if these two ancient corpses were to truly reanimate, even if I fled elsewhere, it might not necessarily be safe."

Uncle Feng gave Lin Bei a deep look and said, "Is that all?"

Lin Bei smiled. "Of course. If possible, I would also like to learn Taoist arts."

Uncle Feng shook his head upon hearing this. It was natural for a young man like Lin Bei, a super-rich tycoon, to be interested in the mystical arts. However, the world was currently in the Dharma-Ending Age, and even the immortals and deities had long since departed. Even if one managed to enter the path of cultivation, the best result would likely be serving as a low-level ghost messenger in the underworld. Moreover, practitioners like them all began building their foundations from childhood. At Lin Bei's age, even a natural-born prodigy was already "a billion points" too late. Before the spiritual energy dried up, one might have used rare treasures to defy fate, but in the current climate, that was out of the question.

"It’s not that I’m stingy with my teachings; I truly wish for more people to cultivate so the ancestors' legacy can be passed on. But this requires building a foundation from a young age, tempering the bones and tendons. Even if you start now, you might not be able to enter the path."

Lin Bei was unfazed. It didn't matter if he could enter the path himself; as long as his counterparts in other worlds could, that was enough. The spiritual energy in this world was insufficient for cultivation, but that didn't mean the same was true for others. All Lin Bei needed was the transfer of knowledge. He had already figured out that the "Southern Mao and Northern Ma" mentioned in this world referred to the Mao and Ma clans, both famous exorcist families. The "Southern Mao" was the legacy of Mao Xiaofang, who belonged to the Heavenly Dao Sect rather than Mount Mao itself, following a traditional path of cultivation. The Ma family, while practicing traditional arts, utilized the power of the Divine Dragon. Because each generation passed their power to the next, even with the depletion of spiritual energy, they were not significantly affected, though they could no longer use their ultimate techniques frequently.

After Uncle Feng provided a primer on the spirit world, Lin Bei gained a deeper understanding of the world he was in.

It seemed that until his counterparts from other worlds appeared, he could only rely on his breathing techniques. He hoped his counterpart in the Demon Slayer world would grow in strength rapidly, and that his counterpart in the martial arts world could find some powerful secret manuals to practice, allowing him to "level up" while lying down. After all, they were all him—there was no shame in that.

Seeing Lin Bei lost in thought, Uncle Feng hesitated several times, wanting to ask how Lin Bei had summoned the True Sun Fire, but ultimately decided against it. As a man of old-fashioned principles and integrity, he could not bring himself to covet someone else's secrets. Although he didn't ask, Lin Bei had no intention of keeping it a secret; after all, he wanted to obtain the Maoshan legacy and, while he was at it, recruit a few bodyguards before he became truly invincible. Fate, Rahu, and the Pangu clan were all lurking in the shadows, and these entities could threaten his life at any moment; it was best to be prepared.

"Uncle Feng, you are an expert. I happen to have some questions regarding cultivation. Would you mind helping me with them?"

Uncle Feng agreed without hesitation. Although he lived on Tung Ping Chau, he had heard many things about Lin Bei and knew him to be a rare philanthropist among the wealthy. Anyone willing to share corporate profits with workers and donate to schools couldn't be a bad person. But when he heard the questions Lin Bei posed, Uncle Feng realized that Lin Bei wasn't asking for advice—he was teaching him a miraculous technique. This unique breathing method was unheard of, yet it contained traces of ancient arts. With this technique, Uncle Feng felt that the bottleneck that had plagued him for years might soon be broken.

Out of gratitude, Uncle Feng shared some Maoshan cultivation methods with Lin Bei. After all, with Lin Bei's wealth, if he were willing to spend, others would be happy to teach him even if Uncle Feng refused. With the bonuses from his counterparts in three worlds, Lin Bei's aptitude for cultivation had indeed improved significantly. His memory was also superb; after Uncle Feng went through the material once, Lin Bei had it memorized. Afterward, he attempted to practice the *Shangqing Great Dao Scripture* as taught by Uncle Feng, but after meditating for half a day, he felt not a hint of spiritual energy—instead, he ended up taking a nap.

Early the next morning, Ma Xiaoling and Uncle Qiu returned to the villa, fully equipped. Seeing that the two ancient corpses still showed no signs of reanimating, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Not long after they arrived, Zhang Tian'ai and Yun Qing also appeared, accompanied by a chubby man in a deep blue robe. Upon seeing the state of the two ancient corpses, the chubby man was just as shocked as Uncle Feng and Uncle Qiu had been the day before. He had assumed Zhang Tian'ai and Yun Qing were exaggerating, but seeing the corpses, he realized the reality was even worse than they had described. He immediately brought out his spiritual pestle and mandala, and had it not been for Lin Bei stopping him, he would have started the exorcism right then and there.

"Senior, no need to rush. I gathered you all here to ensure everything goes perfectly. Once we are fully prepared, we will have a much better chance of success. Let me introduce you to the other experts I have invited."

Lin Bei introduced Uncle Feng, Ma Xiaoling, and the others. When he introduced Kuang Tianyou, he simply referred to him as a friend from the martial arts world. Hearing that both the Southern Mao and Northern Ma were present, the chubby man didn't dare to boast about being a descendant of the Celestial Master Zhang anymore. He could bluff with laypeople, but in front of his peers, it was better not to make a fool of himself.

"Fellow practitioners, my name is Zhang Shisan. My ancestors were of the Quanzhen Longmen Sect. These are my nephew, Zhang Tian'ai, and his friend, Yun Qing."

Hearing Zhang Shisan introduce them, Zhang Tian'ai and Yun Qing quickly greeted Uncle Feng and Uncle Qiu. Just by looking at the artifacts they were holding, the pair dared not show any disrespect. Ma Xiaoling, though young and fashionably dressed, was someone they dared not underestimate once they heard her surname was Ma. There was a consensus in the spirit world: the Ma family of the "Southern Mao and Northern Ma" were all "old maids" who never married, and they were notoriously petty and vengeful. If one offended them, they risked being hunted to the ends of the earth. A family that had been hunting the Zombie King Jinchen for two thousand years without giving up could hardly be considered "normal."

Looking at the six experts before him, Lin Bei smiled. With these people here, he was confident they could handle the two ancient corpses. It was a pity he hadn't been able to find Ma Dalong or Ma Xiaohu; with a Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva-level figure present, things would have been even more secure.