There was no doubt—Lian Feng was rich. The man's outfit alone must've cost at least twenty thousand yuan, and he had casually paid for both their plane tickets from Xi'an to Kunming.
Money, to those who lived outside worldly boundaries like cultivators, meant nothing. Over a few days of travel, Liu Lei learned that Lian Feng was already over seven hundred years old—a feat made clear not just by his power, but by his role as one of the high elders of the Dianxi Divine Sect. He only looked thirty, but his eyes carried centuries.
*No wonder those old freaks are all rich,* Liu Lei mused. *They could sell their antique trash and make a fortune. That explains why they all live in castles and act like aristocrats.*
And just like that, Liu Lei began dreaming of his own future. A Gothic castle. Endless night. And himself, a noble vampire lord...
Lian Feng brought Liu Lei to a small town nestled near Mount Cang. After checking into a modest inn, he said, "Rest now. We climb the mountain tonight."
Mount Cang was ancient, composed of nineteen peaks with an average altitude of over 3,500 meters. The Divine Sect's main base lay hidden among these summits, protected by a thousand-year-old formation that cloaked it from the world.
Night didn't fall until past eight. At nine, the vampire—naturally more active after dark—was feeling sharp and alert. Lian Feng and Liu Lei left the bustling little tourist town behind, taking narrow trails that wound deep into the mountain. Half an hour later, they were in the wilderness.
Lian Feng suddenly stopped. "Here." He grabbed Liu Lei's arm and surged forward, flying through the forest like a streak of green lightning.
Wind howled past Liu Lei's ears. Shadows blurred. Even with his enhanced vampire body, the speed made him dizzy. But after a few moments, the rush thrilled him.
After half an hour, they landed in a quiet valley surrounded by darkness.
"We're here," Lian Feng said.
Liu Lei looked around. Nothing. Just endless mountain silhouettes. "Where? There's nothing here."
Lian Feng didn't answer. He raised his palm and summoned a pulse of green light. The peaks on both sides of the valley began to shift—literally moving aside. A hidden mountain slowly rose between them.
Liu Lei stood frozen, jaw slack. He'd heard of sects using formations to hide their bases, but this—moving mountains—was another level.
Lian Feng changed into a traditional green robe, tying his hair up into a Taoist knot. He took Liu Lei's wrist, and they floated toward the newly revealed mountain.
Two young disciples bowed as they passed the mountain gate. "Welcome back, Grandmaster."
Inside was a massive courtyard of smooth stone. Beyond it, rows of green-tiled rooftops climbed the mountain like a city built into nature. This was the heart of the Dianxi Divine Sect.
"There are five halls and eighteen branches," Lian Feng explained. "Each leader is a powerful cultivator. Under our Sect Leader are four Generals and ten Lords of the Underworld. We have seventeen elders like me, and even I wouldn't claim to be the strongest."
Liu Lei swallowed. So... being a vampire marquis was nothing here. He'd be the doorman.
Lian Feng chuckled. "Those two boys who greeted us? About vampire marquis level. Fairly weak."
*I'm not even worth guarding the gate,* Liu Lei thought. *Maybe turning into a Zombie King won't even get me through the front door here...*
They arrived at Lian Feng's residence. Two young disciples waited at the door—his youngest students. Lian Feng had already sent his other disciples out on missions.
The Sect Master, Xuan Yuan Xuejian, was away on business, so Liu Lei didn't have to meet him immediately.
Lian Feng ordered a disciple to bring two wild deer—Liu Lei's midnight snack. Their blood was rich with spiritual energy, nothing like the tainted livestock blood from the cities.
---
The next morning, a young disciple came to wake Liu Lei.
After a strange breakfast of unknown animal blood, he followed Lian Feng to the main hall.
"Today," Lian Feng said, "we begin the process of creating a Zombie King. But your vampire body is different from human cultivators, so we'll need to adapt. Hopefully... nothing goes wrong."
"I trust you," Liu Lei said casually. "Let's make it happen."
"There are two stages," Lian Feng said. "Internal and external. This manual here holds the internal cultivation method—our sect's most guarded technique. Externally, you'll soak in medicinal pools during the day and absorb moonlight at night. On full moons, I'll use golden needles to open your meridians."
He led Liu Lei to a four-meter-wide pool. Black liquid boiled inside. Strange herbs floated to the surface.
Liu Lei's face paled. "You want me to soak... in that?"
"Yup."
"Are you trying to make vampire stew?!"
"You're undead. You'll be fine."
"But it's *boiling*—"
Before he could finish, Lian Feng grabbed him and tossed him in.
Liu Lei's scream echoed across the mountain.
---
After a full day in the medicinal pool, Liu Lei was tossed onto his bed like a piece of overcooked meat. His skin was raw, but his body pulsed with new strength. Despite the pain, he could feel the energy surging inside him.
Normal people could only circulate six meridians using the sect's technique. Liu Lei's vampire body activated nineteen, absorbing energy three times faster.
He borrowed Lian Feng's specially modified phone and called his parents. He told them he was working in the wild and couldn't receive calls, but he'd check in when he could. Only then were they reassured.
---
That night, Liu Lei meditated under the moonlight, running the internal cultivation method. All nineteen meridians buzzed with power. Moonlight wrapped around him, entering his body like strands of silver.
His demonic wings suddenly unfolded, acting like massive solar panels—but for moonlight. The energy poured into him like a flood.
Lian Feng, watching from afar, sighed. "A vampire Zombie King... the possibilities are endless. He's already forming a lunar force field on instinct. Maybe we'll actually need him someday."
---
On the first full moon night, Lian Feng had mapped Liu Lei's meridians. Vampire meridians were more complex, with a vital point in the chest instead of the lower abdomen.
Lian Feng laid out a lunar array on the mountaintop. Energy from the moon gathered into the formation. Liu Lei lay in the center.
Eighty-one golden needles pierced his major meridians. Energy flowed through his veins like water, healing and strengthening his body.
A gentle silver glow surrounded him.
Lian Feng kept watch, tense. But Liu Lei? Asleep. Peaceful.
"Damn brat," Lian Feng muttered. "I'm worrying myself to death, and he's napping like a baby. Unbelievable."