Six-Character True Words

Half an hour later, Ye Fan and the others also arrived before the Great Thunderclap Temple. The ruined palaces and Buddhist hall shocked them; they had never imagined there would be buildings on Mars.

After Ye Fan identified the four ancient characters on the Ancient Plaque, everyone was even more astonished. This place was actually the legendary abode of the Buddha.

"The Great Thunderclap Temple!"

"Could gods and Buddhas really exist in this world?"

These young people, who had spent more than twenty years living in cities, now began to question their established worldview. The appearance of the Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin and the Great Thunderclap Temple had utterly overturned everything they knew.

"The universe is vast, and heaven and earth are boundless. Earth is no more than a tiny corner. Our understanding is far too shallow." Watching their beliefs reel under the impact, Lu Chen sighed from the side.

"Our technology hasn't even truly taken us beyond Earth, yet we completely deny the existence of myths and legends. That really is too rash." Ye Fan stared at the Great Thunderclap Temple and nodded in agreement.

"Could all the ancient legends be true? Are there really immortals, ghosts, and monsters in this world?"

Although they had experienced many bizarre things that day, their deeply ingrained beliefs were still difficult to change all at once.

"Perhaps today we can uncover the true face of those myths and legends." Among their classmates, Zhou Yi was a refined man from a learned family with a powerful background.

"Whether there are immortals doesn't matter. I just want to know whether there's a way home here." A female classmate spoke with uncertainty in her voice, and the other women quickly echoed her.

Hearing this, they entered the Buddhist hall one after another. Unfortunately, they found neither a path back to Earth nor any Buddha. They found only Buddhist artifacts sealed away in the dust of ages: bells, chimes, prayer beads, ancient rulers, Copper Lamps, alms bowls, and the like. Most were damaged, with only a few remaining intact.

He knew these Buddhist artifacts would break down completely once they left Mars.

Thus, although Lu Chen had entered the ancient hall ahead of them, he had not taken many artifacts. He had only picked up a damaged Vajra Pestle to protect his life, leaving the other ancient artifacts untouched.

Soon, everyone had stripped the Great Thunderclap Temple of its Buddhist artifacts, while Ye Fan quietly dug out the Bodhi Seed beneath the Bodhi Tree's roots.

Finally, Pang Bo even took down the Buddhist hall's plaque, leaving the others momentarily dumbfounded. Then they understood: if gods and Buddhas existed, the ancient plaque bearing the words "Great Thunderclap Temple" was also a treasure.

By now, the ancient hall had been picked clean. Those classmates who had found no Buddhist artifacts were filled with regret.

Clearly, their thinking had begun to change. In their hearts, they were starting to accept that gods and Buddhas existed, and the objects in the Buddhist hall were naturally no ordinary things.

Crack.

Suddenly, a faint sound rang out. Cracks began spreading across the Buddha statue inside the ancient hall, and it was about to shatter.

Then a mighty heavenly voice resounded between heaven and earth: "Om, ma, ni, pad, me, hum..."

Buddhism's Six-Character True Words rang through the clouds and shook the firmament, making all six directions and the eight wildernesses tremble.

At the same time, the Buddhist artifacts in their hands emitted brilliant Buddhist light, resonating with the True Words Heavenly Sound.

"This..." The heavenly voice thundered, and divine light flickered from the ancient artifacts. Everyone was utterly stunned. They had never expected these artifacts to reveal their extraordinary nature immediately after being picked up.

Buddhism's Six-Character True Words were Taboo Secret Arts, endowed with great wisdom, immense divine powers, and the supreme might to cleave heaven and earth apart.

"Buddhism's supreme divine art—the Six-Character True Words! This is a supreme wondrous art on par with Taoism's Nine Secrets. If I could obtain it...!"

At that moment, Lu Chen's thoughts were entirely different from everyone else's. He knew what sort of opportunity lay within the Buddhist chant.

The next instant, as though something had occurred to him, he quietly moved to the edge of the group, discreetly took out a Bodhi Leaf flowing with green radiance, and swallowed it in one mouthful.

The divine tree's leaf had no particularly distinctive taste, but soon after he swallowed it, a warm current rose from his abdomen and flowed through his body. His essence, vitality, and spirit received a tremendous boost, instantly surging to their peak. Finally, that energy gathered deep within his mind.

In an instant, the scene before his eyes seemed to brighten. His sight and all his other senses improved enormously, and his thoughts seemed to turn faster, as though the entire world had become clearer.

The Bodhi Tree was a wisdom tree, capable of awakening a person's divine nature. Although this was only a single leaf, to a mortal like Lu Chen, it was still an unparalleled medicinal treasure, enough to improve his comprehension and the very essence of his soul. It was a supreme aid in setting foot on the path of cultivation.

Now, the Buddhist mantra echoing throughout the heavens no longer seemed to reach him through his ears. Instead, it entered the sea of his mind directly, as though a Buddha stood before him, expounding scripture and imparting teachings.

"Still not enough!"

Lu Chen knew he might truly gain a tremendous opportunity here, but one Bodhi Leaf was not enough to help him obtain Buddhism's supreme Six-Character True Words. He swallowed another leaf, then another, until he had eaten all six crystalline Bodhi Leaves.

"Pad!"

Suddenly, the sound of "pad" from the Six-Character True Words overwhelmed the other five syllables. It rang within his mind like great bronze bells, a heavenly voice that seemed to have pierced through time and space.

Endless runes of divine intent seemed to appear before his eyes, finally condensing into a golden ancient character that branded itself deep within his memory.

But it was unfathomably profound, abstruse, and difficult to understand-not something he could comprehend at his present level.

"I only obtained one of its secrets! What a pity!" Lu Chen felt both delight and regret at failing to obtain the complete Six-Character True Words.

For now, he could neither understand nor fathom this Secret Technique, because it was not a foundation for cultivation, but a secret divine ability.

Only when paired with a powerful primary cultivation method could the Profound Art be unleashed as a means of subduing demons and protecting his path.

At that moment, the Vajra Pestle in his hand still shone with Buddhist light, and even his own body radiated dazzling brilliance.

Had Ye Fan and the others not been drawn to the mighty Buddhist chant and awed by the divine radiance of the many Buddhist artifacts, they would certainly have noticed something unusual about him.

The Buddhist chant that shook heaven and earth slowly faded. The Great Thunderclap Temple and the Ancient Bodhi Tree collapsed with it, turning to ashes, while the radiance of the artifacts in everyone's hands also dissipated, leaving them still once more.

"Once its last surviving Buddhist artifacts were taken away, this damaged ancient hall lost its reason to exist!" Watching the Great Thunderclap Temple scatter on the wind, Lu Chen sighed softly.

Ye Fan, who stood nearby, heard him and said, "Although we didn't see any Buddha, I believe even more strongly now that gods and Buddhas really exist."

"If there really are Buddhas... won't those mighty figures blame us for taking the things from their ancient hall?" Carrying the Great Thunderclap Temple's plaque on his shoulder, Pang Bo ducked his head.

Lu Chen smiled. "Brother, if the Buddha decides to blame anyone, you'll be the first to bear the brunt."

Thump! Pang Bo set down the ancient hall's plaque, then turned and asked in confusion, "Why would he blame me first?"

"Because you tore down the Buddha's very storefront!" Holding the Ancient Bronze Lamp, Ye Fan smiled and patted his shoulder. "But don't worry. The Buddha is merciful. Why would he blame us over such a small matter? Perhaps this is an opportunity left for later generations."

Although their circumstances were grim, some among the group remained open-minded and strong enough to face their predicament with a smile.

Buddhism, merciful? Not necessarily! Lu Chen silently shook his head.

"What do we do now? From the looks of things, there's no water or food here. We'll be dead before long." Someone raised the immediate problem they faced.

Although the Buddhist artifacts and ancient hall had shocked them, and gods and Buddhas might truly exist, survival was still their most pressing concern.

Just then, a thunderous rumbling came from afar, and red dust swept toward them from the distant horizon, blanketing heaven and earth.

"That's... a Sandstorm! Every year, super Sandstorms sweep across the whole of Mars!" a male classmate with an interest in astronomy cried out in horror.

"We're doomed." A pretty female classmate spoke through sobs, filled with despair and terror.

But they soon discovered that the Sandstorm had not swept into their area. A hazy dome of light appeared in the sky, keeping the distant Sandstorm outside.

"The gravity and air on Mars aren't suitable for human survival. It seems we've been safe because this place is a pure land."

Only then did everyone realize that they could walk freely on Mars because a mysterious, hazy dome of light protected this place.

"The dome protecting this place is fading. I'm afraid it won't hold out much longer. Our only chance of survival lies at the Five-Colored Altar. The gods and Buddhas opened up the Starry Sky Ancient Road, so it shouldn't be a dead end. Perhaps we can follow that ancient road and leave this place."

Lu Chen tightened his grip on the Vajra Pestle. Knowing danger was imminent, he strode toward the Five-Colored Altar. Naturally, he understood that their path to survival lay there. As for Ye Fan's classmates, each could only leave their fate to heaven.

"Let's return to the Five-Colored Altar and give it a try."

Seeing the dome that protected the pure land grow faint, the others had no further options either. They could only return to the Five-Colored Altar and take their chances.

The ancient hall was not far from the altar, only about a kilometer away, and everyone soon returned to it. Unfortunately, several people died inexplicably along the way, causing tremendous panic.