Chapter 14: Great Thunder Sound Temple

Chapter 14: The Great Thunderclap Temple

At the end of the ruins, an ancient temple appeared, silent and still. It was very small, by no means magnificent. Just a single hall, housing a stone Buddha statue covered in thick dust. Beside it, an ancient bronze lamp flickered with faint light.

In front of the ancient temple stood a vigorous Bodhi tree, too wide for six or seven people to encircle. Its ancient trunk was hollow. Were it not for five or six shimmering green leaves still adorning its branches, the entire tree would appear completely dead.

The ancient temple and the Bodhi tree stood together, imbued with a profound sense of antiquity. They seemed to evoke the flow of time and the passage of ages, bringing an endless feeling of serenity and ancientness.

Upon reaching this spot, everyone's surprise was evident. The magnificent and vast complex of palaces behind them had long turned to ruins, yet this small ancient temple remained intact. It evoked a sense of simple, unadorned truth.

"How can there be such an ancient temple?"

"The few remaining leaves on that ancient Bodhi tree actually glow with a shimmering green light!"

The Bodhi tree is practically synonymous with the Buddha, deeply rooted in Buddhist lore. Legend has it that over 2,500 years ago, Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment and Buddhahood beneath a Bodhi tree.

This Bodhi tree, coexisting with the ancient temple before their eyes, both presented extraordinary signs, filling everyone with wonder.

"Why do I feel like a long river of history is flowing here? Everything before me seems incredibly ancient, as if it has undergone ages of historical sedimentation."

The fifty-meter distance was short, and they quickly approached. A strange feeling arose in each person's heart; what they saw was like an aged historical scroll, with the scent of time pervading the air.

"Could this be a temple where deities once resided?"

"Could there truly be Buddhas in this world? Although the ancient temple is dilapidated, it still evokes a sense of plainness, peace, and meditative tranquility."

The ancient temple was silent; a profound peace settled over the area.

"There's a bronze plaque over there, with inscriptions on it."

The dilapidated ancient temple had a tarnished bronze plaque, inscribed with four ancient characters. They coiled like dragons and snakes, embodying endless Zen wisdom. It was still the complex, hard-to-decipher Bell-and-Tripod script (Zhong Ding Wen). However, the first character, "大" (dà - great), was easily recognizable; many could make it out even without knowing the script.

"The last character is '寺' (sì - temple)." Zhou Yi, who had some knowledge of the Bell-and-Tripod script, identified the final character.

"The four characters read 'Great Thunderclap Temple' (Dà Léiyīn Sì)," Ye Fan suddenly pronounced all four characters.

Everyone present was astonished, their faces reflecting disbelief.

"'Great Thunderclap Temple'... I didn't mishear that, did I?!"

"How is this possible..."

The legendary Great Thunderclap Temple was believed to be the residence of the Buddha and the supreme holy land of Buddhism. Yet, how could this small, dilapidated ancient temple before them, utterly lacking in grandeur and consisting of just a single hall, also be named the Great Thunderclap Temple?

Having personally witnessed the nine dragon corpses pulling the coffin, everyone was already psychologically prepared and had almost come to believe in the existence of deities. Yet, they were still shaken. What did it mean for an ancient temple on Mars to be named the Great Thunderclap Temple? Perhaps many historical accounts and legends would gain new interpretations, and a corner of obscured ancient history would be unveiled.

"The Buddha's teachings, sounding like thunder." That is the Great Thunderclap Temple!

Could this ancient temple before them truly be the legendary one?

If this speculation were true, it would be utterly shocking. On Mars, covered in reddish-brown soil and gravel, an ancient temple, shrouded in dust, possessed an astonishing and world-shaking origin.

The more they observed, the more extraordinary the ancient temple seemed.

The celestial palace behind them had once been incredibly majestic, vast, and grand, but it had ultimately been destroyed, leaving only a scattered array of rubble. This ancient temple, though seemingly dilapidated, still stood firm, creating a strange contrast.

The Bodhi tree stood beside it; a bronze lamp illuminated an ancient Buddha, its light a mere speck.

Simple and tranquil, it had withstood the trials and erosion of time. What remained was "truth"; all extravagance was but fleeting dust.

A lamp, a Buddha, a temple, a tree—they seemed to have existed eternally, enduring through the ages in this world.

All of it was peaceful and serene, making one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze, as if ethereal Buddhist chants echoed around them.

"If this truly is the legendary Great Thunderclap Temple, then could this ancient tree accompanying it be the very Bodhi tree under which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment?"

"How is that possible? That's just a religious legend. Do you really think Siddhartha Gautama sat for seven days and seven nights under an ancient tree on Mars 2,500 years ago and then achieved Buddhahood?"

"Considering what we've encountered and experienced, nothing is impossible!"

Everything they had experienced that day made them feel as if they were in a dream, yet it was an undeniable reality.

At that moment, Ye Fan suddenly walked forward, accompanied by Pang Bo. They both stepped directly into the ancient temple. Simultaneously, Zhou Yi quickly followed, and Wang Ziwen also entered right behind him.

Behind them, Liu Yunzhi's expression suddenly changed as if he remembered something, and he quickly rushed forward. The others also woke as if from a dream. If this was the Great Thunderclap Temple, then it was the residence of a deity. Although long dilapidated and covered in a thick layer of dust, it was still an extraordinary place.

The ancient temple was small, merely a single Buddhist hall. It was empty, with almost nothing inside. Ye Fan walked directly to the stone Buddha statue and picked up the ancient bronze lamp that stood beside it.

The bronze lamp was unremarkable and antique in style, but it felt warm and smooth to the touch, not cold and hard like metal; it was more like holding a piece of warm jade. What was astonishing was that while the ancient temple was filled with dust, the bronze lamp was spotless, as if it could repel dirt.

This temple had clearly not been cleaned for many years; dust had accumulated in a thick layer. Yet, the ancient lamp remained dust-free and continuously lit. This astounded Ye Fan. Could it have been burning continuously since ancient times until now?

"It's really clean; there's nothing left but the stone Buddha and the bronze lamp." Pang Bo scanned the surroundings but, regrettably, saw no other artifacts.

Just then, Zhou Yi, who had entered right behind them, stepped on the thick dust, producing a clanging sound and uncovering an alms bowl.

At the same time, Liu Yunzhi and the others also entered the ancient temple. Everyone remained silent, searching quietly.

Initially, everyone was stuck in their habitual thinking, facing the ancient temple with lingering doubt and considering things with a mindset from when they were on Earth. It wasn't until Ye Fan took the first step that they suddenly realized: they were now on another planet, confronting what was very likely the legendary Great Thunderclap Temple, the Buddha's residence, and there might be artifacts left behind by deities!

Inside the ancient temple, Ye Fan held the spotless bronze lamp. Soft light sprinkled around, and a gentle radiance flowed within the temple.

Suddenly, Ye Fan heard a faint, ethereal Buddhist chant, as if from beyond the heavens. At first, he thought it was an illusion, but the Buddhist sounds gradually grew louder, echoing throughout the ancient temple. They resonated like immense bronze bells, solemn, vast, profound, and mysterious.

Then, all the dust inside the ancient temple receded, leaving it spotless and pristine. The Six-Syllable Mantra surprisingly began to resound: "Om mani padme hum..."