I and countless versions of myself simultaneously travel through time.

"Hehe, it's a secret." Ye Yan deftly took out the shroud and wrapped the old priest's body tightly, his movements as gentle as if he were packing up some treasure.

He whistled, and a bat swooped down from the sky, grabbed the body bag, and flew off toward the mortuary.

"This kid..." Uncle Jiu shook his head, continued to distribute talismans and glutinous rice to the people, and then led people to check several churches in the town to make sure there were no other hidden dangers before he felt at ease.

Surprisingly, the church eventually remained open.

Father Wu continued preaching as usual, and the people continued to come and collect supplies as usual—in any case, they were genuinely given things, such as clothes, food, and eggs.

Uncle Nine had been educated by Ye Yan about Western religions, so he was no longer opposed to them. As long as there were no zombies, he didn't care what people believed in.

Father Wu was distributing supplies at the church entrance when he looked up and saw Uncle Jiu approaching. He instinctively flinched and asked, "Uncle Jiu? You've become religious too?"

"You're overthinking it." Uncle Nine said expressionlessly. "I'm here to collect something; I might as well take it."

"No problem, no problem!" Father Wu hurriedly handed over the supplies, his smile more like a grimace.

Not long after, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai arrived.

Father Wu continued to give the gifts with a smile.

Then Si Mu arrived, and Ye Yan also arrived. The two of them lined up in the queue in a very natural and open manner.

Father Wu's smile froze.

He looked at the four people in line, then at the rice in his hand, and felt like crying.

Are you from the Maoshan Sect here to purchase goods?

You bunch of Maoshan Taoist priests, you've really done a lot of harm!

The atmosphere at the mayor's home was subtle.

Mayor Ye was forced to sit next to the head of the table, while Awei stood to the side with a gun, a forced smile on his face: "What did you say? Disrespecting my elder brother is disrespecting me, Awei. The Ren family? It's time for the Ren family to change hands. With my elder brother as mayor, there will be justice!"

Anne nodded and said earnestly, "Yes, Uncle, I want to try being the mayor's wife. I'm afraid it will be tough on you."

Ren Tingting stared at her with wide eyes, "How could you say that?!"

Their eyes met, sparks flying.

One was dressed in a Western-style dress, the other in a cheongsam; they both puffed out their chests, neither willing to give way to the other.

Ye Yan glanced at the two of them and sighed inwardly.

Following the typical novel formula, both of these girls who returned from studying abroad are probably interested in him.

The reason could be the protagonist's halo, or it could be that he is just too charming. After all, he has the background of the Naruto Ye Yan, with his handsome appearance and strong physique. He is the focus of attention as soon as he stands there.

"Even a town mayor has to win over the local gentry and come up with all sorts of pretexts." The mayor shook his head. "He also has to be mindful of Commander Long's mood. This matter isn't that simple."

The subsequent plot unfolded logically.

Mayor Ye stepped down and gave way to a more capable person, and everyone dispersed.

Everyone's surname is Ye.

Mayor Ye remains unchanged.

Ye Yan originally intended to take Annie and Ren Tingting home, considering himself a gentleman. However, Annie stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

Ren Tingting was stunned for a moment, then, not to be outdone, she also moved closer.

Ye Yan: "..."

Well, even a gentleman can be a little different sometimes.

Moreover, he was not a lecher.

He couldn't bear to see the two of them become widows.

Afterwards, Ye Yan lay on the bed, feeling the freshness and warmth of the people around him.

It must be said that this experience also inspired his spiritual practice. The balance of Yin and Yang is the fundamental principle of the universe.

Moreover, the warmth and comfort of human life are indeed much more pleasant than the stench of corpses or the aura of yin.

Annie is even more cold on the outside but sweet on the inside, no wonder she's the woman in the original story who was bitten by a zombie and went into heat.

He gazed thoughtfully at the gradually brightening sky outside the window.

What should I eat today?

When they returned to the mortuary, Uncle Nine was already waiting there, his expression somewhat complicated.

"Come with me."

Uncle Nine led him to the Ancestral Hall.

This is the innermost room of the mortuary, where Uncle Jiu comes to offer incense every morning. Inside, rows of memorial tablets are displayed, from the founders of the Maoshan School to the present day, dozens of them densely packed together.

"Pay respects to the patriarchs." Uncle Nine lit three incense sticks and handed them to Ye Yan. "All the patriarchs of Maoshan are here. Although you are not my formally accepted disciple, since you have learned Maoshan magic, you should at least pay respects to the patriarchs."

Ye Yan accepted the incense, offered it respectfully, and then knelt down to kowtow.

One bow.

Two bows.

Three bows.

After kowtowing, he looked up at the memorial tablet.

Then he froze.

The largest memorial tablet in the very center, the one of Tao Hongjing, the founder of the Maoshan School—is cracked.

A thin crack extends from the top of the memorial tablet to the bottom, like a shocking scar.

"This..." Uncle Nine also saw it, his hand trembled, and the incense almost fell to the ground.

Si Mu just then pushed the door open and came in. He leaned over for a glance and gasped, "Good heavens!"

He circled Ye Yan twice, clicking his tongue in amazement: "The cultivation method you're practicing is heretical, not orthodox. The founder doesn't recognize you! Look at you, you've even cracked from the qi!"

Ye Yan's face darkened: "How is what I cultivate considered heretical cultivation? The Taiyin Corpse Refining True Explanation is a legitimate Taoist technique! And you're the one who gave it to me."

"The Yin energy is fine, but you're practicing corpse cultivation!" Four Eyes pointed at his nose. "Orthodox Maoshan magic is about delivering the souls of the dead, not keeping corpses as pets! No wonder the founder would recognize you! What righteous Taoist would drain a zombie or vampire dry to death? Look at you, do you look like a proper cultivator? It's perfect that you're coming with me this time, so you can learn how to control corpses while you're at it."

Ye Yan laughed in exasperation.

Do you really think it's a joke that I, as a protagonist from a different genre, share the same talent?

The [Same Wear Panel] also seemed unable to bear the mockery from the locals in these small worlds.

"Wearing the same armor, let me see your limits."

Ye Yan no longer revealed himself, but his aura swept over us.

It's the aura of a hanging wall.

He pulled out the "Huang Ting Jing" from his pocket, flipped through it several times, then closed the book and slammed it on the altar.

Uncle Nine tentatively asked, "You... you've already learned it?"

Ye Yan nodded: "I've learned it."

Uncle Nine and Four exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with shock.

Uncle Jiu then took out several more Maoshan secret scriptures from the cabinet, including "Shangqing Dadong Zhenjing", "Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing", and "Zhengyi Mengwei Milu", and placed them in front of Ye Yan one by one.

Ye Yan read it all.

Finished reading the Shangqing Dadong Zhenjing.

understood.

I've finished translating the *Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing*. I understand it now.

I've finished reading "The Secret Manual of the Zhengyi Alliance".

The essence of Maoshan talismans had already flowed into his heart.

He took a deep breath, walked to the table, and picked up his brush to draw a talisman. With swift and skillful strokes, a corpse-suppressing talisman was completed in an instant.

The moment the talisman was completed, spiritual energy flowed across the paper, with a faint golden light moving about it. It was a perfect creation, even more accurate than Uncle Nine's drawing.

Then he began to recite the scriptures of the practice, word for word, sentence by sentence, from beginning to end, with perfect fluency.

Uncle Nine and Four Eyes were dumbfounded.

"What... what kind of monster is this?" Four Eyes murmured.

Ye Yan put down his pen, turned around, and walked to the ancestral tablet again, kneeling down respectfully.

He looked at the ancestral master tablet.

You're not going to accept me, are you?

Then I'll exploit the bug.

One bow.

Two bows.

Three bows.

He prayed very devoutly, his forehead touching the ground with a loud thud.

Uncle Nine stared nervously at the memorial tablet.

The crack was slowly healing! Starting from the bottom, little by little, it was as if an invisible hand was repairing it.

"Alright, alright!" A look of surprise flashed in Uncle Nine's eyes as he stroked his beard and smiled. "The patriarch has recognized you! Very good, very good. In this life, I, Uncle Nine, have finally taken on a good disciple."

Before he could finish speaking...

boom!

The memorial tablet exploded.

It shattered into countless wood chips, which fell all over Uncle Nine's head and face.

Uncle Nine's smile froze on his face.

Is this...right?

He looked at the broken wood scattered on the ground, at the empty altar, at the wood chips strewn everywhere, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Then, the Taoist priest, who had spent his life fighting demons and monsters, witnessing countless life-and-death situations and weathering numerous storms, suddenly had tears in his eyes.

"Grandmaster..." he murmured, his voice hoarse.

Si Mu was stunned, opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Ye Yan knelt on the ground, looking at the broken wood scattered everywhere, and suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

He looked up at Uncle Nine.

Uncle Nine squatted down, his hands trembling, and picked up a handful of sawdust. The sawdust fell through his fingers like the sands of time.

"I understand," Uncle Nine said softly, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "I understand everything."

He raised his head and looked at Ye Yan, his eyes filled with indescribable complexity.

"This is not a problem of the founder not recognizing you."

"This is our ancestor... I dare not acknowledge you."

Ye Yan remained silent.

"You're not from this world, are you?" Uncle Nine asked.

Ye Yan nodded.

Uncle Nine sighed deeply.

"All the ancestral masters of the past are here." He looked at the other intact memorial tablets. "They...they all dare not acknowledge you. Not that they don't want to, but that they dare not. The aura emanating from you, your origins, your destiny...they cannot bear it."

Si Mu understood immediately, and gasped, "So the memorial tablet wasn't cracked by the air, it was... it was cracked by your worship?"

Uncle Nine nodded: "The first time you prayed, you couldn't bear it and it cracked. The second time, we thought you were just exceptionally gifted, and it barely healed. The third time... you really couldn't take it anymore, so it just exploded."

"Our patriarchs of Maoshan have cultivated for thousands of years, subduing countless demons and monsters, only to have their power destroyed by a young man's worship. Who would believe that?"

Ye Yan stood up, looked at the still intact memorial tablets, and suddenly bowed deeply.

"I'm sorry."

He then looked at Uncle Nine and said earnestly, "Master, although I have a special background, now that I have entered the Maoshan Sect and learned Maoshan techniques, I will consider myself a Maoshan disciple. If the patriarch does not recognize me, I will recognize the patriarch. If all else fails, I will personally make him come down when I have mastered the Daoist arts."

Uncle Nine covered his mouth and shook his head.

"Don't say anything that's detrimental to unity, Little Leaf."

Uncle Nine looked at him, the complex emotions in his eyes gradually turning into relief.

He patted Ye Yan on the shoulder and sighed, "So be it, man proposes, God disposes. I'm determined to take you as my disciple. As for the patriarch... I'll burn some more paper money and explain things to them later, and maybe send some eggs or something. They should be able to see it. After all, your potential is definitely not limited to Maoshan, but to the whole world, Ye Yan. I will teach you everything I can."

Si Mu murmured from the side, "What's there to explain? Explain that some extraordinary demon from outer space has come to our Maoshan sect and scared our patriarch half to death?"

Uncle Nine glared at him: "Shut up!"

Ye Yan couldn't help but laugh.

He turned around and looked at the sky outside the window, which was gradually brightening.

The morning sun shone through the window, casting a golden glow on the floor.

"Master, I will prove it," he said. "Whether it's Maoshan magic or Taiyin corpse refining, I will reach the highest level. When that time comes, I will personally rebuild the ancestral master's golden body."

Uncle Nine nodded without saying a word.

He simply looked at the young man, at his back standing in the morning light, and a complex emotion suddenly welled up in his heart: relief, anticipation, and a trace of inexplicable awe.

How far can this kid go?

he does not know.

But he knew that from this day forward, the history of Maoshan would be completely different.

He's already burned the ancestral tablets to pieces, how can they be the same?

Uncle Nine sighed and bent down to pick up the sawdust scattered all over the floor.

As I tidied up, my heart ached so much that it started to ache. These were all centuries-old artifacts, and now they were gone just like that.

"What a waste of money," he muttered under his breath.

Ye Yan, with his sharp ears, heard it, turned around and chuckled, "Master, I'll have a gold one made for you later!"

"What's the use of gold? The spirit of the ancestor is all in the wood!" Uncle Nine said irritably.

"Then let's make a jade one!"

"Jade is not breathable!"

"Then what do you want to fight?"

Uncle Nine thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Peach wood, a thousand-year-old peach wood struck by lightning, and it has to be from the same tree, carved from a single piece..."

Ye Yan's face darkened.

A thousand-year-old peach wood struck by lightning? A single piece?

Where am I supposed to find this?

Si Mu gloated from the side, "Kid, take your time looking. If you can't find it, your master will nag you for the rest of his life."

Ye Yan sighed.

Well, this debt is now incurred.

He approached Huang Cuicui.

If you have connections, you might as well use them.

He recounted what had happened.

"Master Dao, you mentioned thousand-year-old trees? We have plenty. Please wait a moment while I go get some peach wood. Stay here and don't move."

Soon, Huang Cuicui came over, and Ye Yan took the peach wood from her.

"No, you really have it." Uncle Jiu took a look and it really did have the charm of peach wood.

Uncle Nine squatted down, picked up a piece of broken wood, and sighed, "What a pity. This ancestral tablet was passed down from generation to generation of masters of Maoshan, and it acquired its spiritual power through the worship of countless disciples. Now it's gone just like that."

Looking at the mess on the ground, Ye Yan suddenly laughed: "It's simple, I'll just become the Grandmaster, won't that solve it?"

Uncle Nine looked up and froze.

The master and his disciple arrived at the newly acquired ancestral tablet.

Ye Yan lit incense but did not kneel. He simply stood with his arms crossed, a slight smile on his lips.

"Old Deng," he began, his tone as casual as if he were chatting with the old man next door, "You'll see from heaven. I sincerely worshipped you, but you didn't appreciate it. Fine, I'll remember that. If I ascend to heaven one day, we'll meet there, you wait."

Ye Yan is vengeful, possesses Tang San's magnanimity and willingness to die, Fang Yuan's methods, and Yang Jian's personality—this is the fate of a protagonist in an online novel.

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Yan's aura suddenly changed!

The violent aura soared into the sky, shaking the offering table and causing incense ash to fall from the incense burner.

A faint light suddenly flashed on the newly acquired ancestral tablet.

Ye Yan smiled.

He guessed correctly; the Three Mao True Lords could indeed hear him.

With his combined talents as a transmigrator, how could he be limited to small zombie movies?

He will travel through all the heavens and myriad worlds sooner or later.

Uncle Nine watched this scene with mixed feelings.

He sighed softly, "If I had your talent, I wouldn't have failed to become the sect leader back then, losing to my senior brother. In the end, I could only settle down in Renjia Town, where I've lived for ten years."

He paused, looked at Ye Yan, and a hint of relief appeared in his eyes: "It's not that the sect is bad. It's just that after meeting you, I realized that Renjia Town is truly a place with boundless possibilities."

Young Grand Secretary, is that you?