Chapter 66: 65. The Six Needle Techniques of the Hidden Needle Lady

65. The Six Needle Techniques of the Hidden Needle Lady

The Six Needle Techniques of the Hidden Needle Lady, second is the Butterfly Knot: silently chant “Hidden Needle, Hidden Needle, Fluttering Butterfly,” and the Hidden Needle Lady will lend aid, stitching the butterfly knot with thread;

The Six Needle Techniques of the Hidden Needle Lady, third is the Fish’s Tail Swing…

As Zhou Chang observed the ghost shroud with his left eye, clouded by chaotic xiangnian and filled with confusion, the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture once again offered corresponding guidance—this time with exceptional detail.

In the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture, Li Xiamei’s demonic root of thought is termed “the Fear Root Woven Within the Human Fetus.”

This “Fear Root Woven Within the Human Fetus” is judged by the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture as an inferior medicinal ingredient, serving as the key herb for brewing the “Ghost-Adjacent Elixir Formula” recorded within the scripture.

Moreover, applying the “Six Needle Techniques of the Hidden Needle Lady” to this ghost shroud can enhance its quality.

Since Zhou Chang first read the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture brought by Yang Rui, whenever he entered a state of xiangnian assault and mental confusion, the scripture’s contents would often surface in his mind.

The first time, when he was ravaged by delusions and his thoughts were chaotic as he observed the nen corpse’s flesh-shell, the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture called the nen corpse “the Egg Sheath,” a form that, though planted with a demonic seed, had yet received divine essence.

Simply by reciting the incantation recorded in the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture, one could cause “the Fetus Changes My Form and Bestows Upon Me Its Essence…”

A normal person who obtained the forbidden method taught by the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture might immediately attempt to chant the incantation, seeking to implant their own divine essence into the “Natan Demon Seed”—but Zhou Chang knew well that this scripture’s origins were sinister, and practicing according to it was not the true path.

Who could be certain that after chanting the scripture’s incantation, the Natan Demon Seed received his own essence—or the essence of the scripture’s true master?

Or perhaps it received the divine essence of the scripture’s owner?

Even when the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture, after Zhou Chang observed the lotus root’s divine essence, taught him to recite the “Sudden Arrival Incantation” to summon the “Black Deceit Mad One,” the same principle applied!

The methods recorded in the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture may all conceal deep traps; once fallen into them, escape would likely be impossible.

Yet the information it provides is often not false—in fact, judging from his own experiences, Zhou Chang found that the scripture’s guidance was almost always true—no child, no tiger.

If it concealed even a single piece of information, refused to reveal the truth, how could it possibly lure anyone in?

But now, Zhou Chang felt the “Six Needle Techniques of the Hidden Needle Lady” proposed by the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture was worth attempting—

The chaotic xiangnian flooding his left eye caused him to hear the various guidance from the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture; conversely, his uninfected right eye, in a state of clear mind, saw a slender hand emerge from the dark corner.

As the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture continuously listed the six needle techniques of the Hidden Needle Lady, that slender hand moved its five fingers rapidly within the dark corner.

Zhou Chang observed closely and soon realized: if guided by needle and thread, the hand’s five-finger motions perfectly corresponded to six distinct needle-and-thread techniques!

He had not recited the incantations listed by the Great Product Heart Elixir Scripture, yet his right eye directly perceived the precise movements of these six techniques!

The Hidden Needle Lady’s fingers lay hidden beyond the chaotic xiangnian, waiting for Zhou Chang to chant the corresponding incantation so she might stitch the ghost shroud upon him and elevate its quality—but whether the fear root thus mended by the Hidden Needle Lady herself would still belong to Zhou Chang remained uncertain.

Now that he had directly witnessed the Hidden Needle Lady’s needle movements, he would never chant the incantation to summon her to mend his garment!

Zhou Chang’s expression remained unmoved as he used his mind to guide the tangled, pitch-black cotton threads, mimicking the Hidden Needle Lady’s technique, swiftly stitching and altering specific areas of the ghost shroud he deemed in need of repair—

First stitch: Flying Clasp…

Second stitch: Butterfly Knot…

…

Even though Zhou Chang’s spirit was now strong, mimicking the Hidden Needle Lady’s needlework drained him greatly.

Her movements appeared simple, yet concealed profound mysteries.

Unless one captured the spiritual essence within her motions, no matter how closely one imitated the form, one could never truly manifest her six needle techniques.

Fortunately, though these six techniques were difficult to learn, diligence could compensate for lack of talent.

After many attempts, Zhou Chang finally applied all “Six Needle Techniques of the Hidden Needle Lady” to the “Fear Root”—

The Fear Root ghost shroud remained pitch black; on its surface, every “longevity” character pattern had become a pale, lip-and-tooth mouth, which had once greedily absorbed the freely flowing xiangnian—now, clusters of needle-and-thread encircled those pale lips.

The stitches were dense and nimble; as the locks opened and closed, the pale lips opened and closed too, yet could no longer freely absorb xiangnian to fuel the shroud’s growth and transform it into another “Li Xiamei”!

“Splash—”

A torrent of water sounded from nearby outside the cellar.

Hearing the noise, Zhou Chang swiftly retracted all the cotton threads he had spread outward back into the coffin chamber.

The nen corpse’s flesh-shell, wrapped in the ghost shroud, had withered to bone and skin; no further xiangqi could be squeezed from its body.

Before his own death arrived, using the wine cellar to “dry out” the nen corpse’s xiangqi, damaging its foundation and reducing the terror it would become upon fully transforming into an old nen—this was one of Zhou Chang’s key reasons for coming to the cellar.

Now, as the water sound faded, the damp, slick wind of xiangqi swept again through the coffin chamber where Zhou Chang stood.

The nen corpse opened all its pores to welcome the xiangqi wind, attempting to replenish its losses!

But Zhou Chang had now gone too far—

The pitch-black threads, once xiangnian, now fully transformed into iron-nian filaments that looked like cotton, at this moment plunged entirely into the nen corpse’s pores!

Each time the nen corpse drew in a wisp of xiangqi, those cotton-nian filaments transformed a wisp of it!

Zhou Chang’s mind was violently battered by the xiangqi!

Yet through prior refinement, his soul had grown increasingly resilient; now, directly enduring the xiangqi’s onslaught, it affected him little!

“Aaaah!”

The nen corpse shrieked wildly; purple-black hooked claws grew on its fingers, each claw digging deep into the coffin lid, tearing off large chunks of wood!

Its body thrashed violently, trying to break free from the ghost shroud’s binding!

At this moment, Zhou Chang heard again that deep, gloomy male voice: “Begin fermentation!”

The voice sounded as if it had spoken right beside his ear!

As the voice rang out, the invisible, formless wind of xiangnian flowing into the coffin chamber transformed into a phantom, multicolored current, thickly entwined with fungal filaments; the xiangqi fungal threads layered upon the current, forming iridescent scales!

The nen corpse suddenly flung out its arms, embracing the multicolored, snake-tail-like current, and opened its mouth to bite down fiercely!