The disappearance of the Sun Essence Yang Ning pointed all causes towards the Central Plains.
"How could this be!?" Shen Shuibei stood up abruptly, unable to believe it.
The Shaman said with a stern face, "That's how it is. Yang Ning was preparing to come personally to escort you, so he set off from the Grotto Heaven, heading towards Baiyue, but halfway through, he disappeared without a sound."
He took a deep breath, "So we won't go to Wu Deity Mountain. The Grand Invoker has ordered us to head to Tang Dynasty immediately. Wu Deity Mountain internally... needs to self-regulate."
"The original envoy group has been canceled as well, instead handed over to me. You may call me Ji Ding. I have achieved the Fifth Rank in Dao, so protecting you along the way should be sufficient."
"We'll discuss the specifics on the road. Now we must depart immediately. Someone has already prepared to receive us on the Tang Dynasty side."
Li Qi didn't delay and nodded right away, "Alright, let's go then."
Since matters had reached this point, it was best not to waste any more time.
However, Shen Shuibei seemed uneasy, as if she had something to say.
"Senior, please wait a moment. I still have a horse grazing at the bottom of the valley. Let me call him back, and then we can set off." Li Qi ignored Shen Shuibei and spoke himself with clasped hands.
"Quickly there and back." The shaman nodded.
Li Qi turned around immediately, thought for a moment, then pulled Shen Shuibei along, saying, "Miss Shen, come with me. The old horse listens better to you. If I go, it might just delay things unnecessarily."
Without waiting for Shen Shuibei's response, he forcefully grabbed her hand and rushed into the valley.
Having reached the Eighth Rank, he now possessed the Cloud Stepping Method, able to cross dozens of feet in one step. With his current swift advance, he soon arrived by the old horse's side.
Suddenly! Two golden threads surged from Li Qi's fingertips, brushing past Shen Shuibei's face, directly aiming at Ji Ding on the mountain!
The speed was four to five times faster than before!
These two streams of Metal Qi could travel fifteen miles in an instant, reaching their limit. After achieving the Eighth Rank, Li Qi had long been able to wield Metal Qi perfectly.
From their previous location, it was only four to five miles away. It would take merely a third of an instant to rush directly to the opponent's front.
Metal Qi drew two dazzling golden lines in the air, carrying lethal intent from Metal, transforming into two guillotines in mid-air, slicing left and right with a snap!
The surrounding cliffs split cleanly in half and slid down, the cut surfaces smooth as mirrors.
Just the aftermath of these two streams of Metal Qi sliced hundreds of meters of cliffs in half like cutting tofu.
One could imagine the attack suffered by Ji Ding, positioned right in the middle of the Metal Qi guillotines.
Upon landing at the bottom of the valley, Li Qi immediately unleashed his strongest killing move that he could prepare in the shortest time against the opponent!
Ji Ding's expression changed, his eyes suddenly turning dark gold, his gaze sharp like a ray of light. But with a clink, he actually managed to block Li Qi's Metal Qi guillotine.
"Young Master Li, what do you mean by this?!" Ji Ding frowned and roared at Li Qi.
But Li Qi ignored him and swiftly changed tactics. The two streams of Metal Qi merged into one, forming a long blade, which he controlled to slash down directly!
Combining Yin and Yang Metal Qi unleashed extremely terrifying destructive power!
With a white gleam, the blade's edge carried devouring killing intent, swift as thunder. The blade's light spilled out, shining like quicksilver, illuminating every detail of the surrounding forest and rocks!
There was no technique involved; Li Qi knew nothing about swordsmanship.
But this strike was powerful and forceful.
Li Qi used all his strength, combined with the explosive force of Yin and Yang unity, increasing the speed and power of Metal Qi several times, slashing toward Ji Ding's head at a speed far exceeding sound.
It was ridiculous. You claim to be from Wu Deity Mountain, claiming to have achieved the Fifth Rank?
If it weren't for my True Dao Resonance, I really would have been fooled!
Regarding Ji Ding, he was covered in a layer of disguise. Li Qi couldn't see through it solely by himself.
But fortunately, he was accustomed to maintaining True Dao Resonance's sixth sense at all times, constantly observing the world from two different perspectives.
In front of the new senses provided by True Dao Resonance, he could detect the death aura on the opponent...
Indeed, Ji Ding was indeed Fifth Rank.
This corpse was also Fifth Rank, even the Shaman aura emitted by him was genuine. Anyone who examined him would think everything was correct.
No matter how much verification or sensing of the opponent's aura and characteristics, there would be no flaw.
According to cultivators' methods of verifying identity, checking the opponent's small heaven and earth, sensing their unique aura, none of these methods would reveal flaws.
This person was genuinely a Fifth Rank Shaman, dispatched by Wu Deity Mountain to receive Li Qi.
Even if Li Qi specifically went to confirm with Wu Deity Mountain, he would get corresponding results.
But, it was a dead person.
Ji Ding was dead.
His body was being controlled, his Spiritual Essence already extracted.
Could it be that the person sent by Wu Deity Mountain to receive him died halfway?!
Li Qi was immensely shocked and made a decision immediately.
Without hesitation, he distanced himself from the opponent and attacked with full force to destroy him!
To avoid detection, they didn't dare send a true expert. This corpse's core was only Eighth Rank, probably thinking Li Qi definitely couldn't see through it, and stronger ones were harder to hide. So they chose this rank, fitting perfectly.
But such a decision gave Li Qi a chance to resist.
From afar.
The blade descended.
A bright flash appeared! In Ji Ding's eyes, he saw a cold light seemingly swallowing the heavens and earth, rushing straight toward his neck!
Eighth Rank Metal Qi, and two streams at that.
Moreover, these two qi were complementary Yin and Yang Metal Qi, male and female, enhancing each other, resulting in a synergy where one plus one was far greater than two.
Therefore, this corpse couldn't withstand it.
The speed was too fast, leaving him no time to react.
The blade struck his Adam's apple.
However, instead of a sound of flesh being cut, it sounded more like hitting thick leather armor, producing a dull thud.
Only leaving a white mark on his neck.
But 'Ji Ding's' body began to wither.
Previously full of vitality, he looked like a normal, lively living person.
Now, his skin started to shrink, pupils dilated, steps became unsteady, bones gradually twisted.
Black smoke poured out from his facial features—eyes, nose, mouth!
Li Qi and Shen Shuibei heard a piercing sound...!
The black smoke condensed into a mass! This malicious shadow churned in the air, its ethereal mouth and claws materializing from darkness. Just being near it felt like hearing eerie whispers.
Its skeletal fingers extended maliciously forward, emitting a howl toward Li Qi and Shen Shuibei.
Since he was discovered, it was time to show his true colors.
The corpse moved, pale skin tightly stretched over decaying flesh, jagged ribs protruding from the chest cavity.
Inside his chest cavity, one could clearly see the soul that originally didn't belong to this body, tormented within, appearing and disappearing, sending chills down one's spine.
These foul-smelling, terrifying corpses limped forward, charging at Li Qi and Shen Shuibei!
Along his path, rotten corpses dripping with corpse water stared at them with empty black eye sockets, sending a chill down Li Qi's spine.
Indeed, he wasn't wrong—it was fake.
But the body was real.
This was Ji Ding's Fifth Rank corpse, occupied by demons to deceive him!
The 'Ji Ding' corpse charged toward Li Qi.
During the charge, countless black smoke emerged from his hand, dimming the sky, making it impossible to see one's palm.
A ring of pitch-black mist surrounded them like a solid wall, many strange shapes, long and short, large and small monsters appearing in the midst, countless numbers roaring toward Li Qi and company.
This demon tide resembled swarms of maggots and crawling insects, horrifying to look at.
Li Qi had just unleashed a full-power strike and hadn't recovered yet. By the time he did, the corpses would likely be upon them.
As Yun Fang mentioned, Li Qi's combat talent... was hard to describe.
However, Shen Shuibei stepped forward two steps and said to Li Qi, "May Sky Essence of May, lend me."
Li Qi instantly stopped recovering and, without hesitation, activated his small heaven and earth, transferring the May Sky Essence to Shen Shuibei.
Shen Shuibei received it with one hand, then three to five furnaces appeared in her hand.
In the height of summer, casting to form qi, fire could be obtained.
Jade mercury aligns perfectly with lead, gathering Five Qi and Three Flowers atop the head, blowing natural true fire, instantly refining inside the furnace until it resembled red pomegranate.
True fire surged, flames spewing out, soaring high into the sky, forming a sea of fire!
The sea of fire was a whole, waves rising every second, crashing into each other, peaks forming sharp edges, exploding continuously, distant explosions audible, wave after wave striking those surging demons!
Celestial fire burned downward, iron and stone couldn't resist, fire pillars extending four to five miles wide, two to three miles across, slightly melting mountain tops.
Rapid wind drove swift thunder, lightning transformed into fire.
White clouds turned red, crimson light connecting to the Northern Dipper.
Demons burned to ashes, clear skies free of haze.
Those demons hit directly by the flames were scorched, turning to dust.
Nearby ones brushed aside, terrified, fleeing in panic.
One strike of this true fire scattered the numerous demons, even stopping 'Ji Ding'.
After all, this was Pill Refinement True Fire, top-grade for refining pills, capable of controlling the Five Elements to create myriad things, thus refining elements within the furnace to produce elixirs.
A Daoist master once said, "Nature's true fire awaits, no need for wood or fanning," referring precisely to this true fire.
While burning the demon's black smoke, Li Qi also regained his breath.
Without hesitation, he summoned eleven divine beings within his body.
Mountain God, robust and firm as metal.
Water God, soft and penetrating everywhere.
Sun and Moon Heavenly Gods shone above, dispersing Solar and Lunar essence.
Gathering all solar essences, merging into the sun.
Lunar essence, merging into the moon.
Emerging, Li Qi combined forces of mountains and rivers, invoking the moon in the Kan position.
Shen Shuibei reacted instantly.
Being Lunar essence incarnate, she understood Li Qi's intentions.
Maintaining true fire with one hand, Li Qi's Solar Heavenly God plunged directly into the true fire.
Entire mountains ignited.
Solar fire combined with true fire, fire upon fire, greatly increasing its power several times.
Thousands of trees in the valley burned to the treetops, thirty miles of grasslands below turned to ash, as if fierce torches fueled the blaze, immense and grand, even dyeing the sky red.
The corpse was forced back by the intense flames, circling around while blocking sounds and waiting for opportunities.
Originally a Fifth Rank corpse, although cultivation was Eighth Rank, the body was truly Fifth Rank, rendering these attacks ineffective.
Like Li Qi's Metal Qi, formidable among Eighth Rank techniques, it couldn't penetrate his skin.
But Shen Shuibei knew the weakness of these corpses: most feared fire and Yang energy, preventing harm but also keeping them at bay.
Now, with true fire and Solar energy combined, perfectly countering the corpse, preventing it from forcing its way through.
However, such fiery momentum couldn't last long.
Thus, the corpse took advantage of their inability to act, sealing off the area with tomb death aura, preventing messages from getting out or in.
Then, when they couldn't maintain the flames, it would use its physical advantages to consume them alive.
Unable to deceive, it aimed to kill here.
Meanwhile, Shen Shuibei summoned the moon phase.
Moon essence generates water, hence during the full moon, tides surge.
Li Qi's Lunar Heavenly God, combined with Shen Shuibei's genuine Lunar essence,
"It's up to you, Miss Shen!" Li Qi exerted all his strength, lifting scorching sun while stirring yin moon.
Shen Shuibei nodded.
Water and fire complemented each other, Yin and Yang united.
Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, Daoism's specialty.
Solar heat rises, embodying pure Yang virtue, Lunar moisture descends, harmonizing dense Yin.
Using this, ghosts and gods complete 'cataclysm'.
What could damage a Fifth Rank physical body, Shen Shuibei knew very well.