Li Yundong stared, dumbfounded, at the Vajra statue before him, seemingly unable to believe his eyes: the true mantra for the Great Hand Seal of Truth was actually inscribed beneath the statue? Impossible! Weren't the Tantric practitioners afraid someone would steal the techniques just by looking?

Li Yundong spun around sharply, scanning the hundreds of statues arranged in the Bronze Resonance Hall. Each statue held a distinct hand seal, and beneath every one were two lines of text, one in Han script and one in Tibetan.

His mind churning with suspicion, Li Yundong ignored the fact that Master Bandalam had not yet arrived. He began to form the Great Hand Seal gestures himself, softly chanting the corresponding mantra incantations beneath them.

But as soon as Li Yundong formed the seal and began to recite the mantras, he felt the qi and blood within him churn and boil, as if a massive stone had been dropped into a placid lake, instantly stirring up towering waves. As he continued to chant, this internal sea became increasingly turbulent, like water brought to a rolling boil—especially as he reached the final parts. Li Yundong felt all his True Essence transform into volcanic lava, ready to erupt in the next second and surge directly into the hand seal he was forming.

Startled, Li Yundong immediately broke the hand seal, and instantly, the surging energy began to recede.

In that moment, Li Yundong was certain: these inscriptions were indeed the complete mantras for the Great Hand Seal of Truth.

Yet, what utterly baffled him was: why were these mantra techniques so long? The time it took him to chant just now felt like reciting a full spell to unleash a major magic. In an actual confrontation, he would have been struck down a dozen times over while still trying to finish the mantra recitation. Moreover, wasn't Tantra known for the Six-Syllable Mantra? Why were there so many additional utterances?

Just as Li Yundong was lost in confusion, he suddenly heard a soft chuckle behind him: "While the Six-Syllable Mantra is indeed a closely guarded secret of our Tantric school, the world often only knows 'Om Mani Padme Hum,' yet they are unaware that this is actually a condensed form of the true mantra technique."

Hearing the voice, Li Yundong turned his head sharply, astonished. With his current level of cultivation, it was impossible for an ordinary person to approach within ten meters of him undetected.

Yet, standing eight meters behind him was an elder clad in yellow robes and a crimson shawl, wearing the yellow Lama hat. The elder’s face was a roadmap of wrinkles, his eyebrows extraordinarily long, and his eyes gleamed with sharp, profound light as he gazed at Li Yundong, his expression benevolent and full of mirth.

Li Yundong took one glance and felt the divine light in the elder's eyes was as fathomless as a vast ocean. He knew this must be Master Erdini. He turned, executed a respectful bow, and said, "Master Erdini, I have long admired your reputation."

Erdini smiled faintly and returned the gesture with palms pressed together, "Not at all, True Man Li, I too have long admired your great name."

Li Yundong smiled humbly and asked, "Master, how did you know what I was just thinking?"

Erdini chuckled mysteriously, raising a finger to point toward the heavens, "Heaven knows, the Buddha knows. If the Buddha knows, then I know."

Li Yundong couldn't help but laugh wryly, "Truly worthy of the Living Buddha Master; your fame is well deserved. However, since you know my thoughts, may I ask why there are two different versions of the Great Hand Seal of Truth mantra?"

Erdini smiled and replied, "These are actually the language used by the Buddha, also known as the 'Buddha Tongue.' Only when these Buddhist true mantras are recited in their entirety can the Great Hand Seal unleash its full power. However, because ordinary people cannot utilize the Buddha Tongue, or find the recitation incredibly taxing, the Buddha's disciples devised the simplified version—the Six-Syllable Mantra that you now use."

Li Yundong suddenly understood, yet his face remained puzzled as he asked, "But Master, I am Han. Why would you pass this secret technique to an outsider like me?"

Erdini looked at Li Yundong with piercing eyes and said meaningfully, "Because the Buddha does not distinguish between races!"

Li Yundong paused. "The Buddha does not distinguish between races? What does that mean? I am not part of your Tantric sect."

Erdini smiled gently. "When Dorje Denzin first told me about you, he praised your cultivation talent immensely. At first, I merely mused that the Central Plains were indeed a land of Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons, giving rise to heroes generation after generation. But when he mentioned that you mastered the Great Hand Seal of Truth in just a few days, I was instantly stunned by his words and immediately thought of something. Do you know what that was?"

Li Yundong asked, "What was it?"

Erdini smiled profoundly, "I immediately realized... that a True God has been reincarnated!"

A tremor ran through Li Yundong. He questioned, "Can you really conclude that from just that one point?"

Erdini let out a hearty laugh. "True Man Li, you are truly lost in the moment! Someone exceptionally strong might easily lift a thousand pounds and surely wonder why the vast majority cannot. It is because they possess extraordinary innate talent, incomparable to ordinary people! Do you know how long it took even Shakyamuni's disciples to completely master the Great Hand Seal of Truth mantra?"

Although Li Yundong had studied the classics extensively, he was completely ignorant of such secret histories not recorded in the texts. He asked curiously, "How long?"

Erdini held up three fingers and smiled without speaking.

Li Yundong ventured tentatively, "Three days?"

Erdini shook his head with a faint smile. Li Yundong then asked, "Three months?"

Erdini still shook his head, smiling. Li Yundong was slightly surprised and said, "Could it be three years?"

Erdini burst into laughter. "No, it was thirty years!"

Li Yundong gasped sharply. "Thirty years? Is this technique that difficult to learn?"

Erdini nodded. "Indeed. The Great Hand Seal of Truth is exceptionally hard to master. That is why the Abbot of Gyatso Monastery dared to give you the rare copy; he likely assumed you could never learn it. But he never imagined that not only would you learn it, but you would master it fluently in just a few days, as if you had practiced it for decades! Do you know what that proves?"

Li Yundong remained silent, his expression grave.

Seeing his reluctance to speak, Erdini smiled slightly and said, "True Man Li, you are the reincarnation of a True God; otherwise, it would be absolutely impossible to learn the Great Hand Seal of Truth technique this quickly! Did you not feel a profound familiarity with those mantra incantations just now, feeling no strain as you recited them?"

Li Yundong couldn't help but nod. He admitted, "But I felt some hesitation, it wasn't completely smooth, and the recitation time was too long. In actual combat, I felt this true Great Hand Seal technique lacks practical application."

Erdini chuckled. "True Man Li, do you know how long it takes even our Dharma Protector Vajras in Tantra to fully recite one passage of these complete Great Hand Seal mantras?"

This time, Li Yundong did not guess; he simply asked back, "How long?"

Erdini held up one finger. "A full ten years! Because every single syllable of these mantras requires an immense expenditure of True Essence to utter; without profound magical power, complete recitation is absolutely impossible! And True Man Li, your cultivation is not significantly higher than that of our Dharma Protector Vajras, yet you could recite it effortlessly. This proves that you are intrinsically the divine essence of Buddhism; there is no other explanation that fits!"

Saying this, Erdini pointed to a Vajra statue nearby. "True Man Li, try reciting the mantra passage inscribed here. Can you do it?"

Following his gaze, Li Yundong saw that this Vajra statue was forming the Root Seal of Amitabha Buddha. The mantra for this hand seal was frighteningly long, spanning three full lines!

Li Yundong took a look. Though the characters looked convoluted and awkward, as he attempted to recite them, there was some hesitation, but he managed to maintain a flow. He whispered, "Namo Ratnatrayaya, Namo Aryāvalokiteśvarāya, Tathāgatāya, Arhate, Sammā Sambuddhāya, Tadyathā, Oṃ, Ami-te, Ute, Teje, Teje, Vije, Vije, Vikirite, Vikirita-gamini, Tegang-gana-gikāli, Tandanā-piśavāli, Sarvartha-sādhani, Sarvakarma, Kliśe, Kṣayaṃkari, Svāhā!"

When Li Yundong finished reciting, he felt a sheen of sweat covering his body, as if he had expended all his strength. Especially on the final syllable, he felt on the verge of collapsing, as if every syllable demanded the full force of his body and True Essence to be spoken.

Master Erdini couldn't help but laugh heartily when he saw Li Yundong's labored conclusion.

Li Yundong assumed Master Erdini was mocking his exhausted state after the chant and said with a weak smile, "Master, please don't laugh at me."

Master Erdini shook his head and smiled. "Laugh at you? No, no, I am only becoming more certain of one thing: you are absolutely the reincarnation of a True God! Because you instinctively knew how to segment these mantra incantations!"

Saying this, Master Erdini walked over to the Vajra statue and pointed to the mantras below. He chuckled, "These characters have absolutely no punctuation. If one did not innately understand the Buddha Tongue, it would be impossible to know where to pause. But every break you made was precisely at the boundary of a mantra syllable, and this—this is the most difficult mantra among all the Great Hand Seal techniques. Even I cannot guarantee reciting it in a single breath, yet you managed! True Man Li, are you still unwilling to admit it?"

Li Yundong remained silent for a long moment before slowly saying, "Even if I am, what does that have to do with your Tantric sect?"

Master Erdini clapped his hands and laughed loudly. "Excellent, excellent! You finally admit it! It has everything to do with it—a connection of immense significance!" As he spoke, he respectfully bent over, prostrating himself fully on the ground, and declared, "Erdini greets the Dharma Venerable Buddha!"

Li Yundong quickly helped him up, shaking his head. "Master, you are too polite. I am ashamed; you are a reincarnation of a Living Buddha, so I should be the one bowing to you. However, I only know that I possess the Dharma Body of Akṣobhya Buddha, not the Dharma Body of the ultimate Buddha."

As he rose, Erdini smiled. "Akṣobhya is the Wrathful Manifestation of the Buddha, used to subdue demons and vanquish evil, possessing immense divine might and magical power. No wonder the Living Buddha can recite these mantras so easily!"

Li Yundong forced a wry smile. "Stop calling me Living Buddha; it sounds strange, and in front of you, Master, how would I dare claim to be a Living Buddha?"

Erdini shook his head and took a step back, stating seriously, "That will not do!"

Li Yundong also spoke seriously, "Master Erdini, I am a cultivator of the Daoist path. Even as a reincarnation of the Vidyārāja, I have a different path of cultivation and destiny in this life. Calling me Living Buddha is too absurd; people would laugh."

Erdini considered this, then said, "Very well! But how can the Heavenly Venerable of Akṣobhya be addressed with a common title? I shall call you Heavenly Venerable. We won't use given names or surnames, because you are the one and only living Heavenly Venerable in this world!"

Seeing that he couldn't dissuade the elder, Li Yundong reluctantly changed the subject. "Master Erdini, I heard you mention this Amitabha has nine ranks of seals. Which nine ranks are they, and could you teach me?"

Erdini smiled faintly. "If the Heavenly Venerable wishes to learn, I am certainly at your service!"

Li Yundong was delighted and was about to speak when he suddenly heard a thud followed by an "Ow!" sound from far in the distance. Startled, he whipped his head around, his gaze sharp as lightning toward the source of the sound, and he commanded harshly, "Who is there!"