Chenyan's expression shifted, boundless killing intent surging from her eyes.
Dongyang Bo showed no fear whatsoever, murmuring coldly,
"Once one cultivates and uses the Mysterious Female Jade Cauldron Sutra, the act of plucking and replenishing gives birth to inner demons. The more people one plucks, the stronger those inner demons become. What is more, they take root so deeply that they are nearly impossible to erase.
"People have gathered all manner of secret arts in an attempt to dispel these inner demons, only to discover in the end that it was entirely in vain; the inner demons could rekindle like dying embers at any moment.
"The vast majority of those who cultivate this art fail. Before they can even sense an opportunity for a breakthrough, they are already unable to suppress their ever-growing inner demons, perishing from the backlash.
"Even if one successfully grasps a sliver of opportunity and gains the chance to form a Nascent Soul, many still fail to overcome the tribulation of inner demons, falling beneath the heavenly tribulation of Nascent Soul formation.
"Those who succeed are few and far between. Almost all of them possess exceptional natural talent—some even on par with yours, young lady—and succeeded in Nascent Soul formation after using this evil art only once.
"With talent like that, their prospects were limitless, and their chances of forming a Nascent Soul were great even without resorting to such evil methods. Using it instead sowed hidden dangers, destabilizing their Dao hearts and leaving them plagued and endlessly tormented by inner demons.
"Precisely because of this, cultivators with poor talent could not use it, while cultivators with great talent were unwilling and dared not use it. In the end, it became a forbidden art.
"However, that is still not the most terrifying peril of the Mysterious Female Jade Cauldron Sutra!"
At this point, Dongyang Bo paused and glanced at Qin Sang.
"The process of plucking and replenishing with this evil art is, in truth, a contest between both parties' willpower and Dao hearts. Such a contest yields three possible outcomes.
"If the cultivator succeeds in plucking and replenishing, that goes without saying.
"If the cultivator falters and suffers a counterattack from the one being plucked, their Dao heart may be shattered instead, reducing them to the plucked party's demonic slave. If a woman suffers this fate, she is even given a pleasing name—a Mysterious Maiden.
"Such cases mostly occur among cultivators who have used the evil art to pluck repeatedly. Their inner demons have grown powerful and their Dao hearts have long been unstable, so it is only natural for the guest to usurp the host's place.
"Then there is a third outcome: precisely your situation. The one being plucked held out until the very end, and the cultivator suffered no backlash either, ending in a draw. While this does not lead to a fate as tragic as becoming a demonic slave, the plucked party becomes an indelible brand upon the cultivator's heart!"
"How unpredictable the world is!"
The corners of Dongyang Bo's lips curled into a bizarre smile.
"Lady Chenyan, when you sternly refused me back then and would not allow any of the Core Formation disciples under my sect to serve as your cauldron, you must have sensed something, did you not?
"Although one's Dao heart is not determined entirely by cultivation base, those with higher cultivation have undergone realization after realization, so under normal circumstances, their Dao hearts are firmer and their willpower stronger.
"Who could have imagined that a disciple with abysmal talent, a five-element spiritual root, who barely managed Foundation Establishment only with the aid of a Dan Dragon Ginseng, would possess such an unyielding Dao heart—one that even someone on the verge of forming a Nascent Soul could not break?
"At first, I dared not believe such a thing could happen. I tested you repeatedly, yet you never showed a flaw. It was only later, during your tribulation, when I unexpectedly discovered that you had used the secret art of sealing emotion with silver needles within your own body, that I was finally certain!"
Listening to Dongyang Bo's lengthy explanation, Qin Sang was completely bewildered.
Recalling the plucking and replenishing back then, his mind had been entirely consumed with anxiety over his own foundation, terrified of being drained dry. He had felt no contest of Dao hearts whatsoever.
Had Dongyang Bo concealed key details of the Mysterious Female Jade Cauldron Sutra from Chenyan, leaving her unaware of the truth and prompting her to show mercy?
Or had the protection of the jade Buddha spared him from this disaster?
Qin Sang instinctively glanced at Chenyan.
What on earth did this so-called brand mean, to drive Chenyan to the point of using silver needles to seal her own emotions?
It seemed Dongyang Bo truly had struck upon Chenyan's secret.
Her face was deathly pale, and her teeth bit into her lower lip until a trickle of blood seeped out.
Dongyang Bo had no intention of stopping, turning a blind eye to Chenyan's reaction. "You wanted to use the secret art of sealing emotion with silver needles to shield yourself from the brand's influence, thinking that once Qin Sang died, the trouble would naturally resolve itself. How naive! If the perils of this evil art could be resolved by a mere silver needle emotion-sealing technique, would it ever have been called a forbidden art?"
Dongyang Bo pointed a finger at Qin Sang. "Believe it or not, if I slay this man before your very eyes right now, your Dao heart will instantly crumble, and your cultivation will plummet straight from the Nascent Soul stage back to Core Formation! You still want to save your master? In your dreams!"
The moment these words were spoken, both Qin Sang and Chenyan turned pale.
Qin Sang never could have imagined that his fate had somehow been bound to the woman who had plucked him.
Selling himself back then had left behind a disaster that plagued him to this day.
Yet thinking about it from another angle, if he truly had become an indelible brand in Chenyan's heart, she would have to do everything in her power to preserve his life just to keep her cultivation from falling.
For him, this might actually be a good thing.
Just then, Chenyan suddenly said coldly, "If that is so, why do you not kill him this instant? Once my cultivation falls to Core Formation, you could easily seize the blood pearl and obtain everything you desire."
Hearing this, Qin Sang realized the same thing. He had not expected Chenyan to remain so composed, unfooled by Dongyang Bo's bluster, immediately seizing upon the most crucial point.
Given the depth of Dongyang Bo's schemes and the viciousness of his methods, now that they had dropped all pretense, he certainly would not hold back.
There had to be falsehoods in his words.
That he held some influence over Chenyan was likely true.
However, whether his death would truly cause Chenyan's Dao heart to collapse and drop her realm back to Core Formation remained questionable. Dongyang Bo acting like this proved he had no absolute certainty either, fearing some unexpected mishap.
A flicker of annoyance flashed in the depths of Dongyang Bo's eyes, yet his tone remained composed. "Lady Chenyan, you are welcome to take that gamble. At most, I lose an opportunity to seek treasure. But how great a price must you pay? Not only will you fail to rescue your master this time, but once your cultivation falls to Core Formation, returning to the Nascent Soul stage will be harder than ascending to the heavens. You might never have another chance to save him! Even if your master's cultivation reaches the heavens, trapped within the demonic cavern, how many more years can he cling to life?"
Seeing Chenyan remain silent, Dongyang Bo looked up toward the vaulted ceiling of the bronze hall.
"Lady Chenyan, to tell you the truth, the true treasure of this pagoda is not inside the demonic cavern, but up above! That treasure is also the key to the seal upon the demonic cavern. As long as it is in hand, opening the seal will be effortless.
"Unless forced to the absolute limit, I have no wish to forge an irreconcilable feud with you and your master.
"The peril of the Mysterious Female Jade Cauldron Sutra is not entirely without a remedy either.
"I possess a Buddhist cultivation technique called Stone Bridge Chan, a secret art of the Great Dao of Severing Emotion rarely seen in this world.
"I have already sealed Qin Sang's cultivation with a restrictive talisman.
"Once I hand him over to you, you need only bring him back to your immortal's cave and keep him there. At an opportune moment, switch your cultivation to Stone Bridge Chan, yield to the brand, treat it as your true heart, and whole-heartedly regard him as your most intimate lover, keeping company with him day and night.
"When your love reaches its utmost depth, tender and inseparable, cultivate the Great Dao of Severing Emotion and slay your husband to prove your Dao.
"Not only will you resolve the hidden danger in one stroke, you might even turn misfortune into a blessing and advance your cultivation by another layer!"
Chapter 609