Chapter 717: The Substitute and the Substitute’s Demise

Chapter 717: The Substitute and the Substitute’s Demise

Qin Shili looped her arm through Lin Nuo’s as they returned to the Spirit Stage. Both of them wore expressionless faces, their demeanor frosty; they could easily pass for a married couple, the epitome of a cold, uncaring duo.

Qin Shili was determined to keep an eye on Lin Nuo, lest he sneak off to meet that Liu Shuqin again. That woman was proving to be a real headache.

Lin Nuo hadn’t turned her down before, clearly harboring some secret intention regarding her.

Yet, he often spoke in vague riddles that left her uneasy, particularly about that mysterious month—what on earth could possibly unfold?

As they arrived, there were many guests, all gazing at the grandeur of the Spirit Stage. The Qin family had arranged for personnel to attend to the arriving nobility.

When the duo appeared in public, everyone was already aware of their relationship. It had become quite the topic of gossip.

However, Lin Nuo paid it no mind; he had recently developed a new idea.

This idea was inspired by Wu Zhao.

With the Demon Star now falling, more and more people were stepping into the demonic path, embracing their descent into depravity.

The influx of newcomers to this path was largely linked to figures like Wu Zhao and Qin Dao, as usually, one doesn’t just tumble into demonic cultivation—there are often guides involved.

And they were those very guides.

Ordinary people fail in demon cultivation due to a lack of prior exposure to the demonic ways, quickly becoming discouraged without progress.

When progress stalls, impatience sets in—when one seeks shortcuts, mishaps are all but guaranteed.

What kind of mishaps?

They could potentially die, but that wasn’t Lin Nuo’s primary concern. His real worry was the emergence of Demon Spirits.

Demon Spirits can vary greatly in power, born from one’s inner malice, their strength impossible to generalize.

Like the last encounter with Su Lingjiang, that Demon Spirit was exceptionally powerful, capable of wreaking havoc.

However, apart from the hastiness of the unprepared demonic cultivators, there was another situation that could give rise to Demon Spirits.

For those seeking massive boosts in power, purging their inner grievances could transform them into ethereal beings of transcendent might, capable of overwhelming foes.

Yet these same grievances could spawn Demon Spirits—these entities may begin weak but grow strong, proving exceptionally difficult to eradicate.

In the righteous way, there’s a method for this type of cultivation known as “No Grievance Technique.”

It is a forbidden art, known to few, and those aware are prohibited from practicing it, primarily because those associated with such Demon Spirits are notoriously hard to eliminate.

Among the younger members of the Xuanyun Sect, no one had heard of this technique; the older generations knew little more.

There was a method to eliminate them, primarily by destroying the host body.

If one destroys the host, what’s the point of training? It would be better to just commit seppuku!

Yet, one could transfer the Demon Spirit to another host, subsequently killing that host to purify it—this was the way to eradicate these Demon Spirits.

The conditions for such a transfer are stringent. First, one must locate a suitable host for the Demon Spirit, then utilize a high-tier spiritual artifact for the transfer. A single misstep could spell disaster for both parties involved.

While this sounded feasible, history showed few success stories—either the transfer was discovered, or it failed completely, or they initially succeeded but the Demon Spirit reabsorbed the host, becoming a greater menace.

Overall, newly found hosts met grim fates, becoming mere substitutes for demise.

In his past life, he had become that substitute.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t died.

Even more regrettable was the fact that he had also managed to eliminate the Demon Spirit.

As for those seeking a replacement for him, they belonged to the Xuanyun Sect.

Despite their terrifying nature and potential for havoc, Demon Spirits could also serve as resources, as they could be harvested for the nutrients of their former hosts—prime material indeed.

Lin Nuo conceived the notion of gathering Demon Spirits to enhance the Sharp Sword, rapidly crafting a Demon Sword.

Currently, there was a surge in Demon Spirit births, and with the Magic Spring flowing after the fall of the Demon Star, throngs of Demons would soon appear, bringing with them an abundance of Demon Spirits.

Resources—purely resources to be collected, whereas in his past life, these Demon Spirits were eradicated by righteous cultivators.

The material extracted from Demon Spirits could become his weapon against the masses, potentially leveling the playing field as he lacked a Demon Sword at present. According to the narrative, he was expected to acquire a Demon Sword during a subsequent escape.

By obtaining demonic artifacts sooner than in his past life, he could gain the upper hand over his competitors, possibly even overpower Su Kexin.

Of course, this hinged entirely upon embracing demonhood.

That was already a foregone conclusion—no need to fret.

Lin Nuo arrived at the Spirit Stage, following Qin Shili to greet the various distinguished nobility—at the very least, it looked the part of aristocracy.

Meanwhile, Qin Dao was present but preparing to leave.

Upon spotting Qin Shili, he was set to execute his plan.

This would surely deliver a stunning spectacle to those in attendance.

“Young Master Zhao, I have matters to attend to first.”

“Brother Qin, what is this wonderful show you mentioned? I’m still in the dark.”

“You’ll know soon enough, but keep your distance from Qin Shili. Senior Huang Yun, please ensure Young Master Zhao is well-protected.”

Qin Dao smiled, speaking in a riddle that left them utterly puzzled as to what was unfolding.

They would just have to wait and see.

Gradually, Qin Dao slipped from the crowd, disappearing from sight as Huang Yun moved alongside Zhao Kuo, mingling near the Spirit Stage.

With the gathering crowd growing, the patriarch of the Qin family, Qin Zhu, stood proudly atop the Spirit Stage, exuding an air of authority as he addressed the assembly.

He paused momentarily, cleared his throat, and raised his voice:

“I’m delighted that you all could take time from your busy schedules to witness the completion of the Spirit Stage. On behalf of all the citizens of Qin City, I welcome and thank each of you!”

As Qin Zhu made his remarks, thunderous applause erupted, only diminishing when his subordinates signaled for silence so he could continue speaking.

The crowd was sizable, even including Daoist cultivators and monks from the temple—what a lively affair!

If Qin Shili were exposed here, the fallout would likely be unbearable.

Lin Nuo stared expressionlessly at Qin Zhu, seemingly unfazed by the proceedings.

Qin Shili glanced at Lin Nuo; he remained silent, but his calmness contrasted with her mounting anxiety.

Sigh, worrying over nothing! With him around, what was there to fret about?

She clung to his arm like a devoted wife, quietly standing beside him.

At that moment, Qin Dao slipped away from the venue to rendezvous with his own people.

He had already prearranged a location, eager to watch the unfolding drama.

Alright, it was time.

Drawing out the magical flute given to him by Wu Zhao, he set his sights on the Spirit Stage and began to play.

The melody was akin to an ordinary flute, seemingly lacking any special intricacy, yet it carried the power to evoke curses.

Here they come, Qin Shili—you won’t be so lucky today.

The flute’s sound wasn’t loud, but the keen-eared Lin Nuo caught it nonetheless.

He said nothing, only a cold smile gracing his lips.

Ah, the show was about to begin.

Zhao Kuo, meanwhile, crossed his arms, waiting for the anticipated event to transpire, but he sensed something amiss.

His body felt icy, a chill surging forth alongside a repugnant tide of Demon Qi.

Nearby, Huang Yun was equally astonished.

What was happening? Why was Demon Qi seeping from Zhao Kuo?

Not just Huang Yun, everyone present began to sense the surge of Demon Qi.

“Demon Qi?!”

All eyes locked onto Zhao Kuo.