Is this what a zombie is?

11. Thunder magic, is it suitable for me?

Let's go back to the time when Jiang Chen and Cat Master first met at that barbecue stall in the early morning.

At that moment, the city's neon lights flickered in the distance, illuminating Jiang Chen's slightly bewildered face.

Cat Lord knew where the third Soul-Returning Incense was, but for safety reasons, it chose not to tell Jiang Chen unless Jiang Chen possessed extraordinary power to fight against those strange and terrifying things.

Possessing extraordinary power comes at the cost of an inability to return to a normal life as an ordinary person.

This made it difficult for him to make a decision, but out of caution, he decided to do some research first.

"Master Cat, what exactly do you mean by 'mastering extraordinary powers'?"

Cat Master licked the beer in his plate and said without looking up.

"There are many methods, but the one that suits you best is the Thunder Method."

Thunder magic?

For a fleeting moment, Jiang Chen felt it was absurd.

Please, even though he can't really be considered a zombie yet.

But he was practically a half-dead corpse, and you actually wanted him to cultivate the supremely yang and powerful Heavenly Thunder, which was the most effective at suppressing all evil.

Absurd and contradictory, like a fantasy, it was something Jiang Chen couldn't accept for a while.

"This is unreasonable. Why should lightning magic be the most suitable for me when I'm a dead person?"

Cat Master seemed to have anticipated his reaction, and with a look that said, "You're too young," he slowly began to explain.

"It is precisely because you are dead that you are the most suitable."

"For you, a certain intensity of electric current is like a defibrillator used in a hospital."

Cat Master's explanation was simple and straightforward, yet it hit the nail on the head.

"It can forcefully stimulate your heart to beat and reactivate those stagnant cells in your body."

"Oh, I see, this is just CPR."

Jiang Chen immediately pictured a scene of doctors using a defibrillator to save lives in the emergency room.

Using modern medical theories to explain the mysterious and profound methods of cultivating immortality was an unusually peculiar experience, yet it allowed him to instantly understand the underlying logic.

You know what, this theory actually has some scientific merit.

"Only if you learn to actively absorb and transform the raging electrical energy into the energy that powers your body, which is what I call lightning magic."

"Once you master thunder magic, you will naturally have the advantage when facing evil spirits and monsters."

"Most importantly, even if you don't have the Resurrection Incense for a while, you can still survive for a period of time. Now it's up to you whether you want to learn it or not."

After a moment of silence, Jiang Chen asked the last question, one that had always been on his mind.

"Master Cat, why are you helping me like this?"

"Is it because of me, or because of...our family?"

This problem puzzled him even more than Leifa.

"I guess so, there is indeed some connection between us."

It acknowledged it.

In Jiang Chen's mind, the letter from the Republic of China era, the familiar handwriting, and the eerie feeling that transcended time and space all connected at this moment.

A thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

He almost blurted it out; the sentence formed in his mind.

"We've known each other for a hundred years, haven't we?"

Cat raised his head, his emerald green eyes piercing through the swirling barbecue smoke as he gazed at the deep night sky.

In those eyes, a deep, complex, and human-like recollection flashed, completely unlike that of a beast.

It didn't answer, but its silence itself was an answer in itself.

Perhaps this bond that spans a century is heavier than any words.

……

Our gaze shifts back to the cold, damp basement.

Jiang Chen stood in front of the buzzing electrical control box, looking at the "220V" label on it.

This will be his first step into the extraordinary world.

Once he took that step, there was no turning back, yet he still took that step without hesitation.

Cat jumped lightly onto his shoulder, its fluffy tail brushing against his neck.

Its voice was no longer languid; it became more serious than ever before.

"There are three prerequisites for absorbing electrical energy, and none of them can be missing."

"First, you must actively create a circuit in your body to allow the electric current to flow through you."

"Secondly, I will use my power to protect your heart and brain, preventing you from being burned to a crisp by the instantaneous overload of electricity."

"Third, and most importantly, you must actively 'visualize' the electrical energy flowing into your body, converting, absorbing, and storing it."

"This final step is up to you; I can't help you with that."

Visualization method.

It's another word I've only ever seen in novels.

Before Jiang Chen could ask any further questions, the cat on his shoulder suddenly emitted a ghostly green light from its emerald green eyes.

The light beams, like two tangible searchlights, pierced straight into Jiang Chen's eyes.

"Watch closely!"

A visualization image was imprinted in Jiang Chen's mind. The moment he saw it, he was deeply attracted and couldn't take his eyes off it.

A mysterious and wondrous feeling deeply attracted his mind, and he was uncontrollably drawn into it, unable to extricate himself.

In just a few seconds, he had successfully visualized the image, and the image was deeply imprinted in his soul, impossible to forget.

His entire consciousness was instantly detached from his body and pulled into a bizarre and fantastical mental space.

Jiang Chen's consciousness stood alone on this desolate wasteland.

The entire world felt incredibly oppressive and gloomy, and standing in it, Jiang Chen felt an indescribable sense of loneliness.

Countless ferocious and violent electric snakes tore, weaved, and swam wildly in the dark clouds, each flash illuminating the desolate wasteland below.

That was pure, unadulterated destructive power.

Faced with such divine might, the instinct of any living being is only fear and submission.

But Jiang Chen did not.

His experience of death, his desire to live, and his love for his loved ones became his strongest support, enabling him to overcome the fear that originated from the depths of his soul.

Gazing at the streaks of lightning that resembled swimming dragons, Jiang Chen was lost in thought, entering a state of unprecedented clarity.

Fear was stripped away, and distracting thoughts were cleared away.

All he could see were the trails of lightning.

Birth and death, movement and stillness, rage and order.

I don't know how much time has passed; it might be a moment, or it might be ten thousand years.

He grasped the key to absorption and transformation.

Consciousness returns to reality.

The basement was still the same basement, and the butcher's body was still not far away.

Without any hesitation, Jiang Chen extended his hand, which was still stained with blood and was wet and sticky.

He ripped off the thickest main power line in the switch box, exposing its copper wire.

Shila-

A piercing crackling sound of electricity rang out.

The raging blue arcs of electricity, like venomous snakes that had come to life, instantly coiled around Jiang Chen's arm, following his meridians and traversing his entire body.

220V household electricity is enough to kill an ordinary person, but Jiang Chen is no longer an ordinary person.