"One kind is the general bright mantra. Ordinary people can recite it without a secret lineage of instruction. Examples include the Three-Syllable Bright Mantra and the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra...
"The second kind is the secret bright mantra. It must be paired with complete visualization, and the mandala must possess the power of all Four Activities-Pacifying, Enriching, Magnetizing, and Wrathful-for it to work..."
Qu Zan suddenly felt as though a window had opened in his mind. So the knowledge Duo'erna had taught him before had all been components of mantras; only now were they being assembled.
"Before you learn any mantras, finish today's work." Duo'erna pointed at the medicinal herbs in the courtyard.
By now, Qu Zan's knowledge and identification of the many medicinal herbs allowed him to process them very quickly.
[Secret Medicine Identification +1%]
Once Qu Zan finished tidying up, he sat at the table and gazed at Duo'erna with intense longing.
"That first kind you mentioned, the general mantra-the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra, om mani padme hum-does it work?" Qu Zan asked eagerly.
"What do you think?" Duo'erna asked.
"I don't think it works." After thinking for a moment, Qu Zan said, "This Great Bright Mantra is so simple that anyone can recite it. If reciting it worked, how could there be so many wrongful deaths in Mìdì?"
Duo'erna gave Qu Zan a long, searching look.
"The essence of a mantra is to pray to gods and Buddhas, asking them to send down their power."
"For an ordinary person's mantra to work, they must choose the right moment and pray to the right god or Buddha. But its efficacy is extremely low. Never mind facing a Vengeful Ghost-even against an ordinary evil entity, it isn't much use."
"What I'll teach you today is mainly the