[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete":3,"chapter-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-43":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starting from the Apocalypse, I Alone Severed Eternity",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2312425,4518,"Chapter 43: Apprenticeship and Disciples: The Man of Fang","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-43",43,"\u003Cp>Tap-tap-tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A kitchen knife moved swiftly across the cutting board, turning a whole block of meat into thin strands in the blink of an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Xi, bring the meat plates up quick—I’m done cutting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wenjun called out, now wearing an apron tied around his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In hand, the knife transformed him from a ruthless killer of zombies into a chef.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His movements flowed like clouds and water, without the slightest hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since receiving Fang Shi’s order, Zhao Wenjun had led his men straight upstairs in a flash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They directly took over Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan’s duties, leaving the two utterly stunned, thinking Zhao Wenjun had suddenly found his conscience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after asking around, they learned Fang Shi had returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly changing their expressions, they eagerly joined the work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, they had been naive, unaware of the cruelty of the apocalypse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They thought zombies were the only threat, and that Firewing Birds only appeared at night, posing no real danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humanity would soon restore its former glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after the first wave, Firewing Bird numbers surged, and the distances between land patches expanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone with eyes could see the future would be grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, a powerful figure who could single-handedly kill Firewing Birds had appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you don’t cling to his leg now, aren’t you just stupid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Xiao Xi, who had initially hated Fang Shi, changed his attitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What else could they do? Alien creatures were terrifying—swarming in daylight, and just glancing out the window revealed dozens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These creatures, more terrifying than zombies, would doom humanity if left unchecked—there was no future, only slow death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Zhao, there’s no meat left—you all chopped it all up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xi said helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were only six Firewing Birds total; Xiao Xi and his partner had spent half the day processing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a crowd showed up at night—gone in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wenjun paused: “Then quickly boil a pot of meat broth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Fang came back so late—he must not have eaten well. We must take care of him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xi snorted: “It’s already boiling. Luo Bowen said he’s a chef—he volunteered to cook right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wenjun was startled: Luo Bowen was a chef? How had he never known after all those years of working out together?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only remembered Luo Bowen was henpecked, always cooking at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing everything, Fang Shi finally had time to consider how to handle Zhao Wenjun and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, he’d sent them to process the Firewing Bird meat just to get them out of the way and avoid delaying his own leveling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he had free time, he needed to decide how to properly assign them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Zhao Wenjun’s abilities were clearly strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had dared to fight and lead others from the very start of the apocalypse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, if he weren’t capable, he could never have become leader of the Ancheng settlement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his future potential was limited—he was merely an ordinary Legendary Stronghold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, the Ancheng settlement would never have fallen so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi still clearly remembered how the settlement collapsed when Zhao Wenjun died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monsters surged in like a tide; everyone wished they had two extra legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Fang Shi didn’t know whether Zhao Wenjun had refused to retreat—or simply couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had built the settlement, and he died in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like fire lighting up the night sky, then falling like a meteor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi asked himself: if he faced this, could he fight to the death without retreating?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer was: he didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heroes rise from the ordinary; no matter how many hypotheticals you imagine, nothing compares to being there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To prevent such a tragedy from happening again,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi had decided: he would teach Zhao Wenjun the Fang Family Breathing Method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was currently the only person Fang Shi could teach it to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the Fang Family Breathing Method originated from the Ancheng settlement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Zhao Wenjun, leader of the Ancheng settlement, was not bound by the contract’s restrictions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Zhao Wenjun did afterward, Fang Shi wouldn’t concern himself with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed that with Zhao Wenjun’s abilities, and having received the breathing method early,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he would grow even stronger, and the Ancheng settlement would not collapse again during the fifth wave, as it had before his rebirth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Fang Shi himself would leave the Ancheng region, to see just how vast this world truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He harbored a thought: to end the apocalypse once and for all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he would no longer wander between life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, the entire Ancheng region was minuscule compared to Blue Star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even such a tiny place had produced a Legendary Stronghold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because it was so small, supporting even one Legendary Stronghold was already at its limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To grow stronger, one had to leave Ancheng—otherwise, there wouldn’t even be enough experience to level up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Fang Shi wanted to meet the martial immortals and peerless sword immortals he’d only heard of in legends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did they think of the apocalypse? What solutions did they have?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi suspected the fifth wave was certainly not the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the sixth, seventh, even the hundredth wave came,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>would humanity keep resisting forever?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endlessly, without conclusion—eventually, they would be defeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Fang, Master Fang, you’re here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wenjun rushed forward eagerly as Fang Shi appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He respectfully invited Fang Shi to sit and served the freshly cooked dishes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi sat down calmly and looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the candlelight, everyone—including Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan—stood respectfully to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one dared act out of turn; no one dared show discontent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if it were all perfectly natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brutal apocalypse had smoothed all their edges in just four days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi was already accustomed to the hierarchy of the apocalypse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When an individual’s strength surpasses the collective,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>even the most benevolent superior inspires awe in those beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because life and death rest in another’s single thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhao Wenjun, what do you want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi finished dinner quickly; the others dispersed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Zhao Wenjun and a middle-aged man remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Zhao Wenjun could speak, the middle-aged man dropped to his knees with a thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man banged his head hard on the floor, voice choked: “Please, Master Fang, save my family!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My father is bedridden; my mother is elderly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My wife is ill; my son is at school.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now I don’t know if they’re alive or dead—I want to save them, but I’m powerless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, the man broke into tears, voice trembling with grief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wenjun watched this scene, feeling the same pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans are not solitary beings; everyone has ties in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wenjun was no different—he had come to Ancheng to work, his parents far away in Tongchang County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t want to rush to them—he knew it was utterly unrealistic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wenjun was more rational than most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood: under the current apocalypse, his parents’ chances of survival were slim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his current strength, rushing to find them would be meaningless suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, only by surviving could one have hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Zhao Wenjun had become so bold—even daring to attempt hunting Firewing Birds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is also why he had the support of everyone on the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without improving your own strength, you will eventually be trapped in a corner, unable to even search for your parents, wife, and children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, what followed was a long silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi sat on the sofa, his gaze shifting toward the window, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply refused to answer the middle-aged man’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the middle-aged man felt even greater sorrow, yet continued to bang his head against the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wenjun sensed something was wrong and quickly stopped the middle-aged man’s actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed apologetically to Fang Shi: “Luo Bowen is immature. Master, please forgive him, forgive him. We’re leaving now, right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he forcefully lifted Luo Bowen’s body, ready to drag him away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re just leaving like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s voice was calm; moonlight streamed through the window, casting a deep silver glow over his cultivation robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wenjun’s heart jolted—had their action offended this man?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those rumored to possess great ability often have eccentric temperaments, hard to please.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could Master be one of those kinds?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I’m anxious about my parents at home, so I deliberately sent Luo Bowen to test you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s my fault, it’s my fault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Zhao Wenjun dropped straight to his knees with a thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Bowen, who had just been in despair, saw Zhao Wenjun’s action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was stunned, trying to pull Zhao Wenjun up—but he had nowhere near Zhao Wenjun’s strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he knelt down too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi said calmly: “Since you’ve knelt, why not knock three more head-bangs?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, by the way—only Zhao Wenjun needs to knock. Luo Bowen, you don’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Zhao Wenjun heard Fang Shi’s words and immediately banged his head three times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang! Bang! Bang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So fast that Luo Bowen beside him hadn’t even reacted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the three head-bangs ended, Zhao Wenjun and Luo Bowen, both trembling with anxiety, heard a loud laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good! Good! Good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoosh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi rose instantly from the sofa and appeared before Zhao Wenjun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached out and stroked Zhao Wenjun’s bald head, smiling: “The Immortal strokes my crown; I tie my hair to receive longevity. Though you have no hair, you may grow some later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Bowen stared, utterly bewildered—what just happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment ago, the air had felt like it would freeze; now, was it warming up?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wenjun, no doubt the kind of man destined for legend, instantly understood. He cried out: “Master! Let your disciple pay his respects!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved to bow deeply, but Fang Shi immediately stopped him: “The ritual is complete—no need to continue. Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him to fish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You face many hardships, yet I am only one man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Therefore, I take you as my disciple and teach you the Fang Family Breathing Method to strengthen your cultivation base.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Fang Shi turned his gaze to Luo Bowen: “Where is your home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Bowen, still dazed, finally snapped out of it and cried out in ecstatic joy: “Master, my home is in...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then good. Tomorrow morning, I head north to hunt the Firewing Bird—but I still need a bait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Bowen understood instantly, his heart overflowing with willingness: “I can be the bait! I can be the bait!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice trembled with urgency, as if afraid Fang Shi would change his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, one more thing—you keep calling me ‘Master.’ I’m not used to it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi walked to the window, his back to them: “Fang means Dao. I seek the art of sustaining life to cross through calamities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You may call me Fangshi.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1816,"2026-06-20T12:43:33.559Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","aba84f97e8b9bbed6e01d99e53615020f5fb4f5a0b5df084eccb987caa509178","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-44","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-42",109,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-cover.jpg"]