Li Yundong let out a sharp shout, his body instantly lunging forward like a sudden clap of thunder. But just as he sprang out, he saw Liu Xia sitting on the ground outside, rubbing her ankle, her face contorted in pain. Behind her, a young man also lay sprawled, grimacing and yelping, "Get up quickly, you're crushing me! Get up!"

The girl next to the young man started to reach for her companion, but the moment her eyes landed on Li Yundong, who was charging out with an aggressive and unfriendly glare, she immediately startled and retreated a step like a startled deer.

Liu Xia caught sight of Li Yundong at once and forced an awkward smile, waving a hand at him. "Hi! Long time no see!"

Li Yundong paused, "How is it you?"

Liu Xia mumbled awkwardly that she had just fallen while scrambling up after trying to peek into the Bronze Hall, and if it weren't for this tag-along cushioning her fall, she would have been seriously hurt!

Her eyes darted around frantically, but thankfully, the dark sunglasses hid her panic. She quickly spun a lie, grabbed the young man beside her, and declared, "I'm his guide, brought him here, and just happened to run into you again."

Li Yundong looked closer and realized this young man was none other than the one who had just mocked him. He couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly and ask, "Him? You're his guide?"

Liu Xia secretly reached out and pinched the young man's arm. The guy was quick-witted enough to temporarily set aside their prior friction and quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, she's the guide I hired! What, is that not allowed?"

Though Li Yundong hadn't seen Liu Xia's gesture, he caught the flicker of expression change on the young man's face. He said with a knowing half-smile, "It seems you two are truly destined enemies, better to resolve things than to keep fighting!"

Seeing that Li Yundong wasn't pressing the issue further, Liu Xia quickly massaged her ankle and stood up, offering a stiff laugh. "That’s the way it is. No matter who you cross, you can’t cross money!"

The young man also managed to get up and added provocatively, "What, not convinced? Just because you can come here, I can't?"

Li Yundong glanced at him, deciding not to argue, and turned his attention to Erdeni, who had emerged from the Bronze Hall upon hearing the commotion. "Master, what do you say?"

Erdeni swept his gaze over the pair with a gentle smile. Before he could speak, Liu Xia asked with visible excitement, caution, and a hint of testing, "Excuse me, are you Master Erdeni?"

Erdeni smiled, looked at Liu Xia briefly, nodded slightly, and said, "I am!"

Liu Xia immediately cried out in excitement, "Wow, I've met a Living Buddha, heavens!" Then, she asked cautiously, "Then... Master Erdeni, may I take a photo with you?"

Erdeni chuckled, pressed his palms together, and replied, "Since fate has brought us together, why not?"

Liu Xia never imagined that the Master Erdeni, whose status was incredibly lofty in the hearts of Tibetans, would be so approachable and kind. Overjoyed, she pulled out her cell phone, brazenly leaned close to Master Erdeni, struck a non-mainstream pose, and expertly held the phone aloft, preparing to take a selfie.

Li Yundong stood by, fighting a smile, and couldn't help but remark, "Hey, can you be a little more professional? I get it if you don't have a DSLR, but couldn't you at least bring a proper camera, even a point-and-shoot? What's with the phone? And what's with that non-mainstream pose? And what's with the selfie—couldn't you at least ask someone else to take a proper group photo? Do you even realize who you're taking a picture with?"

Liu Xia gasped and glanced somewhat shamefacedly at Master Erdeni. "Master, I'm so sorry, this is the only equipment I have..." She then glared somewhat angrily at Li Yundong, "I’m not here on a proper vacation, why would I bring a camera?"

The young man nearby seemed to snap back to reality and muttered involuntarily, "This is the Living Buddha? No, he doesn't look like it! I don't see anything extra on him compared to us!"

Erdeni burst into hearty laughter. "That’s right, that’s right. A Living Buddha doesn't have an extra head or extra arms! He is just like you, an ordinary person."

Li Yundong also smiled and said, "The Buddha taught that the Buddha is one who has passed the way, and man is the Buddha of the future! Nothing more."

Erdeni cast an appreciative look at Li Yundong, pressed his palms together, and said to him, "Amitabha, well said, well said!"

Li Yundong returned the greeting with a smile. The young man watched, dumbfounded, and stammered, "Am I back in ancient times? Can you guys stop talking like scholars? It’s so weird!"

Seeing his lack of manners, Liu Xia couldn't help but glare at him and kick him. "Hey, hurry up and get your camera out and take a picture for me!"

The young man then realized what he was supposed to do. He quickly waved to his female companion, who was already staring blankly, and told her to take out the small camera from her bag. He then shamelessly sidled up to Master Erdeni and yelled at his girlfriend, "Hey, hurry up and take a few shots of us! Make sure you take plenty!"

The girl snapped back to attention and took out the camera, preparing to photograph the three of them.

At this moment, Erdeni turned to Li Yundong and asked, "Celestial Venerable, won't you join us for a photo?"

Before Li Yundong could respond, the young man grumbled, "Why would I take a picture with him?"

Erdeni's face instantly fell. He took a step back and said in a deep voice, "Insolence! How dare you speak to the Celestial Venerable like that! Do you know who he is?"

Li Yundong didn't want his true identity known to others, so he smiled and said, "I won't be taking a picture, Master. You just take yours."

Liu Xia, seeing the young man speak out of turn again, shot him an angry glare and quickly tried to smooth things over with a smile. "Master, the child is ignorant and speaks without thinking; please don't be angry."

Erdeni kept a stern face and declared, "If he doesn't show respect to the Celestial Venerable, then I will not take a picture with him!"

The young man's face instantly flushed crimson, and he stood there speechless. Seeing the atmosphere turn stiff and awkward, Liu Xia urgently signaled frantically to the girl, "What are you waiting for? Take the picture already!"

The girl realized what needed to be done, disregarded Erdeni's consent, immediately lifted the camera, and snapped a photo. Click! The shot captured Liu Xia, a stiff-faced Erdeni, and her boyfriend, who looked both embarrassed and vexed, even catching a side profile of Li Yundong.

After the picture was taken, Liu Xia let out a shout of joy, grabbed the young man who was still standing there dumbly, and ran toward the exit. As she ran, she looked back and shouted to Li Yundong, "Hey, let's grab a meal sometime! I'm busy, gotta go!"

Li Yundong watched her flee as if escaping, secretly smiling and shaking his head. Master Erdeni beside him couldn't help but sigh, "Celestial Venerable, I never expected that at your young age, your cultivation would be so profound. To not be angered by that, truly rare!"

Li Yundong chuckled. "Master, you really didn't need to stoop to their level. There are many people like that in the world; if you took offense at all of them, wouldn't you exhaust yourself every day?"

Erdeni, however, shook his head. "It's not about taking offense; I am merely lamenting: although the Han people of the Central Plains are filled with hidden talents and heroes, they lack faith and understanding of reverence. This will lead to huge problems! I saw that man as someone destined for connection, which is why I agreed to the photo, but I didn't expect him to be so blind to true divinity—truly ignorant and contemptible, it is disheartening."

Unwilling to pursue that topic, Li Yundong steered the conversation elsewhere. "Right, Master, you mentioned earlier that the Great Hand Seals are divided into nine grades. Could you explain them to me in detail?"

Erdeni did not dwell further on that matter. He smiled and said, "Of course, but let's discuss it back in the main hall."

With that, he led Li Yundong back into the Bronze Hall.

Erdeni pointed to a row of Amitabha Buddha statues. "Celestial Venerable, please observe carefully. These statues display the nine forms of the Great Hand Seals for the Nine Grades of Rebirth. Observe closely."

Li Yundong looked: the first three statues from the left had their hands overlapped on their laps with three fingers extended, the right hand positioned below the left. The middle three had their hands held before their chests, palms facing outward and parallel. The final three had palms facing outward, the right hand pointing up and the left hand pointing down.

Erdeni explained on the side, "These first three hand gestures are the Superior Grade Seals, also known as the Amitabha Samadhi Mudra; the middle three are the Middle Grade Seals, also known as the Mudra of Preaching the Dharma; and the last three are the Inferior Grade Seals, also known as the Mudra of Fearlessness Dispelled!"

Li Yundong nodded. He closely examined the nine statues and noticed subtle differences even among the three statues performing the Superior Grade Seals. The first was the Superior Grade Seal of Upper Birth, where the tips of the thumb and index finger touched; the second was the Superior Grade Seal of Middle Birth, where the tips of the thumb and middle finger touched; and the third was the Superior Grade Seal of Lower Birth, where the tips of the thumb and ring finger touched. Li Yundong asked in surprise, "These three techniques are different?"

Erdeni nodded. "Indeed. The hand seals of these first three Buddhas each have a distinct technique: the Superior Grade Seal of Upper Birth, the Superior Grade Seal of Middle Birth, and the Superior Grade Seal of Lower Birth!"

Li Yundong’s gaze shifted to the other statues. "Then the others must be the Middle Grade Seal of Upper Birth, Middle Grade Seal of Middle Birth, Middle Grade Seal of Lower Birth, and the Inferior Grade Seals corresponding to Upper, Middle, and Lower Births—making up the total nine grades?"

Erdeni smiled. "Exactly!"

While mentally committing the nine Great Hand Seal techniques to memory, Li Yundong inquired, "What are the mystical uses of these nine Great Hand Seals?"

Erdeni smiled mysteriously and said, "Celestial Venerable, you may explore that yourself in time. Allow me to keep that secret for now!"

Li Yundong smiled and didn't press further. But as he finished recording the forms of the nine Great Hand Seals and sought to memorize the corresponding Mantras for these seals, he was startled to find that not a single word of a Mantra was written beneath the Nine Grades of Great Hand Seals!

Li Yundong paused, surprised. "Huh? Why are these nine Great Hand Seals without corresponding Mantras?"

Erdeni burst into loud laughter. "Celestial Venerable, you have finally noticed! Do you now understand why the Buddha could subdue demons and subdue devils relying on this set of Great Hand Seals that require extremely long incantations?"

Li Yundong's mind raced, and he blurted out subconsciously, "Could it be... these are Great Hand Seals that do not require vocal recitation of the Mantra?"

Erdeni clapped his hands and laughed. "Precisely!"

Li Yundong was genuinely moved and exclaimed in astonishment, "A Great Hand Seal that doesn't require chanting the Mantra is still a Mantra Great Hand Seal technique?"

Erdeni laughed. "Precisely because the Mantra Great Hand Seal techniques require too long a time to chant the Mantra, the Buddha specifically created the Nine Grades of Rebirth Seals, which require no vocal recitation! Although the power of these Nine Grades Seals is far inferior to the other Great Hand Seals that require vocal chanting, because their movements are concise and swift, and they require no chanting, you can use the Nine Grades of Rebirth Seals to engage the enemy while you are chanting the true Mantra. Then, when you finish chanting, you can use the corresponding Mantra Great Hand Seal, perfectly linking the other Mantra Great Hand Seal skills!"

Li Yundong stood tongue-tied, thinking in shock: If the incomplete version of the Mantra Great Hand Seal technique he practiced before was already outrageously powerful, how immensely powerful must the complete version with over a dozen times more Mantras be? Coupled with the nearly instantaneous Nine Grades of Rebirth Seals, how utterly monstrous would the entirety of this Mantra Great Hand Seal system be?

Ah, I managed to rush this out while working overtime... I’m heading to bed now...