For the mortals before him, the scene they had just witnessed, like a myth descending into reality, was something they would not forget for a long time.
In a single day, they had seen the legendary Great Thunderclap Temple and personally witnessed the demon suppressed beneath it.
Yet what shocked them most was Daoist Priest Chen before them.
What had they seen earlier?
The demon beneath the ground had emerged, its strength undoubtedly terrifying beyond measure.
Yet the Daoist priest before them, who looked harmless to man and beast alike, had actually been able to fight such a terrifying demon. It was simply unbelievable.
Now, as they looked at Chen Yu before them again, their eyes could not help filling with profound reverence, as though much more had entered their gazes.
In their hearts, Chen Yu was already like a god or Buddha, perhaps truly a deity from ancient times, and their eyes were filled with reverence.
Chen Yu paid no attention to what these people thought.
He merely sat quietly, sensing the coffin before him.
He wanted to comprehend the ancient characters inside the bronze coffin as Ye Fan had in the original plot, but unfortunately, he still failed in the end.
"Still no good after all?"
Chen Yu was not surprised by his failure.
The ancient characters left inside the bronze coffin had been left by Heavenly Emperor Huang. It would have been strange if they were so easy to discover.
So he simply took out the Bodhi Heart.
Unlike the Bodhi Seed, the Bodhi Heart was golden and roughly the size of a fist. It gave off a very unusual impression, with an inexplicable Qi dynamic circulating within it, making its extraordinary nature apparent at a glance.
This was a true supreme treasure. There was no need even to hold it; merely sensing its presence was enough to recognize how special it was.
Holding the Bodhi Heart, Chen Yu carefully sought comprehension once more.
At last, this time he gained something.
Before him, passages of mysterious scripture began to resound, manifesting beside Chen Yu's ears.
The scripture was ancient, carrying an inexplicable resonance of the Dao, as though it contained the ultimate truths that had existed since heaven and earth were first divided. It made the mind tremble and gave rise to an indescribable understanding.
Unfortunately, Chen Yu's realm was too low for him to appreciate its deeper meaning.
But he knew this scripture was extraordinary, so he simply recorded it in silence.
Whatever the case, he would get his hands on it first.
Even if he could not use it for the time being, it would come in handy someday.
Not far away, Ye Fan was doing the same thing as Chen Yu.
His fist clenched around the Bodhi Seed he had received from Chen Yu earlier, he listened intently to the scripture coming from all around.
Only after quite some time did the scripture slowly fade, and silence returned to their surroundings.
"Since we came here together, we share a bond of fate."
Looking at everyone before him, Chen Yu spoke softly. "I have a few scriptures to expound upon. They may offer you some help later. Anyone interested may come forward."
He was going to expound on a method of cultivation?
Everyone before him froze at these words, then delight immediately appeared on their faces.
To be honest, after what they had experienced on Mars, everyone present had had their entire worldview shattered into pieces.
In their hearts, Chen Yu was already far removed from an ordinary mortal. If they could learn his scriptures, might they have a chance of becoming immortals with vast supernatural powers themselves someday?
Not one person present lacked interest.
"Please bestow the method upon us, Master."
Zhou Yi, Ye Fan, and a few others reacted fastest, immediately rushing to the very front.
Chen Yu did not hesitate either and began expounding at once.
On Earth, he had gathered quite a few scriptures. Some he had collected himself, while others had come from check-ins.
What he expounded upon now was a sage's scripture, though only its most fundamental Sea of Bitterness section.
He did so out of kindness.
Apart from Ye Fan, most of these people would later meet miserable ends because they came from another world, and the places they joined did not seem particularly good either.
Outside the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, the six great grotto-heavens of the Yan Kingdom sounded fairly impressive, but in reality, they were nothing but a bunch of trash.
Never mind emperor scriptures; they probably could not even produce a complete Sea of Bitterness scripture.
Chen Yu decided he might as well be a good person to the end and impart the complete Sea of Bitterness scripture in one go.
Though it was no emperor scripture, it was still a complete scripture created by a sage. Cultivating it to its pinnacle would be enough to reach the Dao Palace Realm.
He could consider it a gesture for the sake of being fellow countrymen.
It was only the effort of lifting a hand, anyway.
As the scripture was imparted, everyone present responded differently.
Some were utterly entranced, some only vaguely understood, and others scratched their ears and heads.
Overall, however, most of this group actually performed quite well.
Unexpectedly high caliber?
Chen Yu was somewhat surprised at first, but after thinking it over carefully, he no longer found it strange.
For these people to hitch a ride on Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin, reach the Big Dipper, and embark on the path of cultivation, their luck certainly could not be poor.
And people with good luck generally would not have particularly poor aptitude either.
One only had to consider this group's original achievements to understand.
After all, in the original course of history, these thirty people had produced not only Heavenly Emperor Ye, but also two Quasi-Emperors and several Great Sages. Most of the others who survived had done well for themselves too, showing how extraordinary their aptitude and luck were.
Among these thirty, apart from Ye Fan, Pang Bo and Zhou Yi had the best aptitude. Both had the makings of a Great Emperor.
As for Lin Jia and Li Xiaoman, their aptitude was slightly inferior, but still far from poor. Given time, they probably had the potential to become Quasi-Emperors as well.
Among thirty people, there was one with the potential of a Heavenly Emperor, two with the makings of a Great Emperor, and two Quasi-Emperor seeds.
In terms of probability, this could only be called terrifying indeed.
Chen Yu shook his head silently, not knowing what to say.
"Thank you, Master."
Among the crowd, Ye Fan was the first to come back to his senses.
This was not merely because he had the best aptitude, but also because of the Bodhi Seed.
With the Bodhi Seed on him, he quickly mastered the scripture Chen Yu had imparted, and now his thoughts began to stir.
Without another unnecessary word, he bowed on the spot. "Please accept this disciple's bow!"
What was going on?
Seeing Ye Fan's actions, the others present froze for a moment before quickly reacting, realization dawning on them.
Right, they could do that.
They reacted swiftly, kowtowing directly to Chen Yu. "Please accept this disciple's bow."
Not only did Chen Yu possess vast supernatural powers and the ability to contend with a demon suppressed by the legendary Buddha, but he was also their fellow countryman.
If they could take him as their master and become his disciples, would they still need to worry afterward?
"Well, now."
Chen Yu was somewhat speechless, gaining a clearer understanding of Ye Fan's gifts.
So the future Heavenly Emperor Ye was also someone who could bend and stand tall as circumstances demanded.
He extended a hand, lifting everyone present with divine power.
"There is no need to speak of taking me as your master. With my current cultivation, I am not qualified to accept disciples."
He said, "If you wish, you may call me teacher when we meet again in the future."