Chapter 610: Silver Needle Heartlock and Stone Bridge Zen

A murderous intent surged in Chenyan’s eyes, so overwhelming it shook the hall.

Dongyang Bo, unfazed, spoke coldly.

"Once one cultivates the

Sutra of the Profound Jade Cauldron

, the act of energy extraction breeds heart devils. The more one extracts, the more powerful those heart devils become. They would be deep-rooted and nearly impossible to purge."

"Some have gathered secret arts in an attempt to eliminate these heart devils, but all efforts have proven futile. The heart devils always find a way to return."

"Most who’ve practiced this art have failed. Before they even sense the opportunity for a breakthrough, they’re already overwhelmed by their growing heart devils and end up perishing under backlash."

"Even those who manage to grasp a trace of breakthrough potential and form a Spiritual Infant often can’t withstand the tribulations of the heart devils and fall during the heavenly tribulation."

"Only a rare few succeed. They're the ones with outstanding talent, some not inferior to you, Lady Chenyan. They used the evil art only once and reached the Spiritual Infant Realm."

"But even with such talent, they likely could’ve reached that level without resorting to evil methods. Using this art only sowed latent dangers, shattering their hearts of Dao and binding them with relentless heart devils."

"That’s precisely why those with poor aptitude can’t use it, and those with great aptitude don’t dare to. In the end, this art became a forbidden art."

"But this isn’t even the most terrifying flaw of the

Sutra of the Profound Jade Cauldron

."

Dongyang Bo paused, then glanced at Qin Sang.

"The process of energy extraction is essentially a clash of wills and hearts of Dao between both parties, unrelated to cultivation level. This process leads to three possible outcomes."

"If the cultivator succeeds, all is well."

"If they fail, and the one being extracted manages to counterattack, the cultivator’s Dao Heart[1] may be shattered. They can become the devilish slave of the target. In the case of women, there’s even a fancy title for it: Xuan Nu[2].

"This usually happens to those who have performed the extraction multiple times. Their heart devils have grown strong, their Dao Hearts already unstable. Falling into their target’s control is not unexpected."

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"The third outcome... is your situation: The person being extracted holds on until the end, and neither side suffers backlash. A stalemate. Though not as tragic as becoming a devilish slave, the extractor ends up bearing an indelible imprint of the one they extracted."

"Such is the unpredictability of fate."

Dongyang Bo’s lips curled into a strange smile.

"Lady Chenyan, back then, you sternly refused to allow my Core Formation disciples to serve as your furnace. Was it because you sensed something?"

"While cultivation doesn’t fully dictate the strength of one’s Dao Heart, those with higher cultivation tend to have firmer minds and stronger wills after repeated enlightenment."

"Who could’ve imagined that a disciple with abysmal talent—five-elemental spiritual roots, who barely managed to achieve Foundation Building with the help of the Dragon Ginseng—would possess a Dao Heart so unshakable that even someone on the verge of forming a Spiritual Infant couldn’t break it?"

"I didn’t dare believe it at first and tested you repeatedly, but you gave nothing away. It wasn’t until your heavenly tribulation, when I discovered you had used the Silver Needle Heartlock secret art on yourself, that I became certain!"

As Dongyang Bo explained at length, Qin Sang felt completely lost.

Thinking back on the energy extraction back then, all he had been focused on was preserving his foundation, terrified of being drained dry. He had no impression of any supposed battle between Dao Hearts.

Was it because Dongyang Bo had hidden the truth of the Sutra from Chenyan, causing her to go easy on me?

Or was it the protection of the Jade Buddha that spared me this fate?

Qin Sang instinctively looked at Chenyan.

What does that so-called "imprint" mean? To force Chenyan to go so far as to use the Silver Needle Heartlock on herself?

She truly seemed to have been exposed.

Her face had turned deathly pale, lips tightly bitten until they bled.

Yet Dongyang Bo pressed on, completely ignoring her reaction. "You tried to use the Silver Needle Heartlock to suppress the imprint’s effects, thinking that once Qin Sang died, the issue would resolve itself. How naive! If a hidden danger from an evil art could be solved by such a simple method, would it still be called a forbidden art?"

Dongyang Bo pointed at Qin Sang. "Believe it or not, if I kill him right now in front of you, your Dao Heart will shatter on the spot. Your cultivation will immediately fall from the Spiritual Infant Realm back to the Golden Core Realm. Still think you can save your master? Dream on!"

The moment he said this, both Qin Sang and Chenyan turned pale.

Qin Sang had never imagined that his fate would be bound so inexplicably to the woman who once extracted energy from him.

A single transaction back then... and now it had left a lingering disaster.

But thinking from another angle, if he truly had become an indelible imprint in Chenyan’s heart, then to preserve her cultivation, she would have to do everything in her power to keep him alive.

For him, perhaps that wasn’t such a bad thing.

Chenyan suddenly said coldly, "If that’s the case, then why haven’t you killed him already? If my cultivation drops to the Golden Core Realm, wouldn’t it be easier for you to take the blood pearl and get what you want?"

Hearing this, Qin Sang also realized the implication. He hadn’t expected Chenyan to remain so composed, seeing through Dongyang Bo’s bluff and pinpointing the most critical flaw at once.

Given Dongyang Bo’s deep scheming and ruthless methods, now that he had torn off all pretenses, he would certainly not hold anything back.

That meant not everything he said could be trusted.

It was likely true that Qin Sang had an effect on Chenyan.

But whether his death would definitely cause her Dao Heart to collapse and her cultivation to fall back to the Golden Core Realm was still uncertain. Dongyang Bo’s decision to avoid killing him outright showed that even he lacked absolute confidence and feared unexpected consequences.

A flicker of irritation flashed in Dongyang Bo’s eyes, but his tone remained calm. "Lady Chenyan, feel free to gamble if you’d like. At worst, I lose a single chance to obtain treasure. But what will you lose? Not only will you fail to save your master, but your cultivation will fall back to the Golden Core Realm. Climbing your way back to the Spiritual Infant Realm will be as hard as reaching the heavens. You may never again have a chance to rescue him! No matter how great your master’s cultivation, trapped within the devilish hole, how many more years can he cling to life?"

Seeing Chenyan remain silent, Dongyang Bo raised his head and glanced up at the dome of the bronze hall.

"Miss Chenyan, let me be honest with you. The true treasure of this tower isn’t inside the devilish hole, it’s up above! That treasure is also the key to sealing the hole. With it in hand, the hole seal can be broken effortlessly."

"If there’s any way to avoid a deadly grudge between master and disciple, I’d rather not reach that point."

"As for the hidden danger of the

Sutra of the Profound Jade Cauldron

, it’s not entirely unsolvable."

"I have in my possession a Buddhist sect meditation technique called

Stone Bridge Zen

, a rare secret art that focuses on the Dao of Absolute Detachment."

"I’ve already sealed Qin Sang’s cultivation with a forbidden talisman."

"Once I hand him over to you, all you have to do is bring him back to your cave dwelling and raise him there. At the right time, switch to cultivating

Stone Bridge Zen

. Embrace the imprint, treat its influence as your true heart, and wholeheartedly view him as your most beloved companion. Live with him day and night."

"When your affection runs deep—intimate, inseparable—only then will you cultivate the Dao of Absolute Detachment. Slay your lover to prove your Dao."

"Not only will this remove the hidden danger in one stroke, you might even turn calamity into blessing and push your cultivation to a higher stage."

1. The "Dao Heart" or "Heart of the Dao" is a key concept in Daoist philosophy and the fictional realm of Wuxia and Xianxia novels. It represents an individual's unwavering commitment to their personal path or "way" within the Dao. Essentially, it's the core belief and conviction that guides a cultivator's actions and influences their cultivation journey. ☜

2. Xuan Nu is the goddess of war, sex, and longevity in Chinese mythology. ☜