Chapter 718: The Death of the Lamb

Chapter 718: The Death of the Lamb

A chaotic scene unfolded as the sudden surge of Demon Qi engulfed the area, accompanied by a bone-chilling Chill Air that sent waves of panic rippling through the crowd.

When it comes to Demon Qi, people turn pale with fear; the oppressive aura of it was so intense that some lost their composure, running around in a frenzy. In their haste, they collided with one another, creating complete pandemonium.

Unbeknownst to the parties involved, their bodies suddenly erupted with cold air, and they even found themselves entangled in Demon Qi.

What’s going on?! How did this happen?!

Zhao Kuo was panicking. He had been quite arrogant, but now he was a grasshopper in a pot, restless and agitated.

“Master, what’s happening?! Help, save me!”

In his panic, Zhao Kuo grabbed onto Huang Yun, pleading for assistance. Huang Yun was equally perplexed; he had no idea what had brought about Zhao Kuo’s sudden predicament.

Huang Yun had long been accustomed to battling Demon Practitioners; he could not tolerate their presence, and the moment a demon practitioner was near him, he would strike to eliminate them.

But this was Zhao Kuo! Killing him would only incur trouble for Dong Wei.

It wasn’t as if he was deliberately practicing demonic arts; someone must have caused this!

The priority was to stabilize him.

Huang Yun quickly summoned his spiritual energies, attempting to suppress Zhao Kuo. He held back, careful not to injure Zhao Kuo in the process.

But it was futile; the overwhelming Demon Qi erupted forth, coupled with a powerful energy that sent Huang Yun staggering back.

Cold air surged and icy winds swept through the area, and ice began to form nearby, radiating the same intensity as the Ziyuan Mountain. The situation was urgent and grim.

All the righteous cultivators present readied their weapons. They had no tolerance for the demonic path, and today marked the auspicious completion of the spiritual altar. The altar needed the support of spiritual masters for its maintenance, and if it were impacted by the Demon Qi and the chill, it could lead to serious consequences.

Everyone cautiously approached, as they were unsure of what abilities Zhao Kuo still had hidden, so they didn’t dare to act recklessly. Some cultivators had already viewed Zhao Kuo as a demonic practitioner enemy.

Zhao Kuo was in a panic. How had he suddenly become the villain surrounded by everyone? They all brandished weapons, intent on taking his life!

“What are you doing? This has nothing to do with me! I don’t know what’s happening! Please, save me!”

He looked completely innocent, but the more frantic he became, the stronger the Demon Qi surged, and the frigid winds twisted around him, displaying ominous signs of ice formation. The situation grew increasingly dire, threatening the spiritual altar and the guests present.

Meanwhile, Qin Dao, who had been playing the flute, witnessed everything unfold.

“What in the world?!”

He was stunned and hastily stopped playing, but it was too late. The chill and Demon Qi had exploded outward, and he couldn’t contain it anymore.

In his mind, he had expected the Demon Qi and Chill Air to emanate from Qin Shili, but it was Zhao Kuo instead!

What was going on? Where had the problem arisen? Wasn’t Master Wu Zhao supposed to have cast a curse on Qin Shili and trigger her leak of Demon Qi using this flute?

He was bewildered, completely unclear about where the issue lay. It was utterly incomprehensible that the suffering had shifted to Zhao Kuo.

Could it be Qin Shili’s fault?

No, Qin Shili shouldn’t have such power. When facing Master Wu Zhao, she had been utterly helpless, much like a lamb being led to slaughter, stepping toward her doom one step at a time.

But when Master Wu Zhao attempted to cast the spell, it had failed due to someone intervening.

Hmm… Who could that be?

Qin Dao focused his suspicions on Lin Nuo, the seemingly ordinary boy beside Qin Shili. His cold, deep eyes hinted at something concealed within.

If he was the culprit, it would be truly terrifying.

The righteous sect cultivators knew that if a curse existed, it would be eliminated. Most likely, the curse had simply been ineffective; it shouldn’t have manifested in Zhao Kuo after all, since they were aboveboard.

Yet now, this failure had shifted blame to Zhao Kuo, and the incident at Ziyuan Mountain could very well be pinned on him.

With this, Qin Shili would be exonerated from suspicion.

How cunning! Such a clever scheme.

But another possibility loomed—did Master Wu Zhao want to eliminate Zhao Kuo? Did they harbor a deep-seated grudge?

If that were the case, Wu Zhao should have informed him, rather than leaving him in such a sudden predicament with no countermeasure.

No, it’s the first scenario—it was the opponent who was more cunning and capable.

Right now, he couldn’t control Zhao Kuo’s Demon Qi due to practicing demonic arts, and besides, if he went over there now, it might expose him.

With the plan failing, Zhao Kuo could only perish; otherwise, if this matter was investigated, his own position would be precarious.

There was no further need for him to act; the situation was severe, and someone would deal with Zhao Kuo.

Meanwhile, everything played out as Lin Nuo had anticipated; Qin Shili was safe, while Zhao Kuo took the fall. Qin Shili couldn’t help but marvel at Lin Nuo’s astounding ability to turn the tables, redirecting Wu Zhao’s curse so effectively!

Even Han Fairy feared Wu Zhao to some extent, portraying him as terrifying and troublesome, but he was no match for Lin Nuo.

So being around Lin Nuo felt incredibly safe, without a hint of worry about danger. He had the strength to handle everything.

“Should we take action?” Qin Shili asked.

“No need. With so many people, why should we intervene?”

Lin Nuo replied calmly, as Zhao Kuo had deliberately distanced himself from them. He had thought the one in trouble was Qin Shili, but little did he know the clown was himself.

“This Demon Qi seems reminiscent of Ziyuan Mountain.”

Han Fairy remarked, drawing her sharp Spirit Sword.

“It must be stopped; otherwise, the consequences would be dire. Everyone, let’s unite to suppress it!”

Han Fairy, with significant influence among the righteous cultivators, prompted immediate response from everyone.

“What are you doing?! Master Huang, protect me! Save me! Someone, don’t let them near!”

Zhao Kuo shouted in panic, while his subordinates hurried to block Han Fairy and the others. However, before they could act, they were overwhelmed by the violent Demon Qi and Chill Air, one by one collapsing to the ground.

Zhao Kuo now appeared as a complete villain; even if he hadn’t struck, he was already harming innocents.

“It must be done quickly.”

Han Fairy charged forward, rallying the other righteous cultivators in unison to subdue Zhao Kuo.

“I did nothing wrong! What are you doing?! Step aside!”

Zhao Kuo shouted, and the more agitated he became, the more powerful the Demon Qi surged. Though they were likely to suppress him soon, the residual Demon Qi and Chill Air still needed to disperse, threatening to freeze the entire place.

“Everyone, think of a way! The construction of the spiritual altar is crucial. If it’s damaged, the people will suffer!”

Qin Zhu shouted anxiously. What would happen if the spiritual altar were ruined by Zhao Kuo?

“Are we really not going to intervene?”

Qin Shili asked, concerned that this chilling air could destroy the altar, putting the Qin family in jeopardy.

“We won’t. Just don’t act.”

“Okay.”

No amount of urgency would change anything; Qin Shili had to heed Lin Nuo’s words.

The cultivators quickly realized that even if they bound Zhao Kuo, he could still violently struggle to break free; the situation was dire.

“Master, save me!”

Zhao Kuo rushed toward Huang Yun, who was shocked and now wanted nothing more than to avoid contact with him.

“Move aside!”

Huang Yun struck out, intending to push Zhao Kuo back, but the outcome was beyond his expectations.

Zhao Kuo took the hit and died.

Rather than saying Zhao Kuo died from that blow, it was more accurate to say he was orchestrated to meet his end right at that moment by Lin Nuo.