The "Cataclysm" means "to seize," referring to something taken from the outside.
When water is extinguished in oneself, for those born in the Shen, Zi, or Chen years, "Ji" (己) becomes the Cataclysm Sha (劫煞), where the Wu Earth (戊土) within Ji robs water.
When fire is extinguished in Hai, for those born in the Yin, Wu, or Xu years, "Hai" (亥) becomes the Cataclysm Sha, where the Ren Water (壬水) within Hai robs fire.
An ancient song says: "The Cataclysm Sha brings disasters that cannot be withstood; rushing about in vain amounts to nothing. When the celestial plate aligns with malevolent stars, one's fate is like a wind-blown lamp, soon to be extinguished."
Shen Shuibi uses water and fire to complement yin and yang, with Li Qi's innate celestial timing as the trigger. The Gui Water (癸水) robs the Bing Fire (丙火), ushering in calamity.
Together, the two combine their strengths: Li Qi provides pure yin and yang energies, while Shen Shuibi employs the Taoist method of harmonizing water and fire, aligning with the celestial timing within Li Qi to create the dual disasters of water and fire.
The water disaster and fire disaster, fused with the energies of the Taiyin (Lunar) and Taiyang (Solar) to form the Yin Sha (陰煞) and Yang Sha (陽煞), become the "Cataclysm" (劫).
Of course, this is not a true cosmic cataclysm—something of that magnitude would reshape the entire world's ecosystem, leaving even cockroaches unable to survive.
This is merely a simulation crafted by Shen Shuibi through Taoist arts.
But it is enough.
The "Cataclysm" is one of the few things capable of directly affecting a fifth-grade physical body. As a former fifth-grade practitioner, Shen Shuibi is well aware of this.
A Fifth-Rank Great Power, with an inexhaustible lifespan and impervious to all kinds of attacks, is as pure as Shen Shuibei's spotless body, truly untouched by any dust, and external attacks are no different.
As for the opponent's corpse, its magical power is average, and its only reliance is its Fifth-Rank physical body.
If a real confrontation were to occur, it is estimated that even if two or three Seventh-Rank cultivators were to attack together, they would most likely be beaten to death by the opponent.
A Fifth-Rank physical body can only leave a white mark when Li Qi's Metal Qi strikes it.
This is probably the reason for the opponent's confidence.
First, there is top-notch disguise, and then there is a Fifth-Rank physical body as a backup. There is no way anything could go wrong, right?
Unfortunately.
Li Qi has a double insurance.
As an Outer Path practitioner, there is no data about him in this world. To deduce his information, one would have to trace back to Earth.
Who knows how far Earth is? Young Master Zhu is too lazy to trace it.
Divination relies heavily on historical data. Without data, it is naturally very difficult to deduce, and since Li Qi's data is stored on Earth, which is too far away, tracing back is extremely difficult.
As an Outer Path practitioner, ordinary divination cannot find him at all.
This is the first layer of insurance.
The second layer of insurance is that Yun Fang, a Third-Rank Grandmaster, just performed a ritual to conceal Li Qi's cause and trace, ensuring that cultivators of lower ranks absolutely cannot find any clues about Li Qi.
With these two layers of confidentiality, it is already quite surprising that the opponent could find Li Qi's location, let alone target his weaknesses?
Li Qi hasn't even made a move since reaching the Eighth Rank. Where are the weaknesses? Who knows?
Combining all these factors, even a Fifth-Rank physical body and an Eighth-Rank demon fell here.
The Cataclysm of Water and the Cataclysm of Fire descend, piercing through the physical body and directly targeting the Spiritual Essence.
The Spiritual Essence inside screamed loudly.
However, Li Qi was unmoved and immediately increased his efforts.
He immediately drew out a willow branch and fiercely lashed out at the opponent!
The willow branch given by his teacher broke in Clear Mist City, and this one was made by him just now.
The willow branch has the effect of striking the Spiritual Essence, and he infused it with divine energy at this moment.
Since the opponent is only Eighth-Rank, this thing can still have an effect!
The willow branch extended, transforming into a series of whip shadows, striking the corpse and causing black smoke to rise from the wounds.
The corpse felt fear and wanted to flee.
However, Li Qi extended his hand, and a sacrificial altar appeared out of nowhere.
This is the Seventh-Rank altar he used for the grand sacrifice, made by Guangyang Sikong.
The opponent was first struck by the tribulation, then had its Spiritual Essence lashed by the willow branch. This is the fate of a disaster star.
Since the disaster star has arrived, and he is also Eighth-Rank, it's time to try the Shamans and Diviners' signature move.
Li Qi ascended the altar, clasped his hands, and shouted loudly: "When the malevolent star descends, the great limit is like walking on thin ice! Where do you think you can run, you scoundrel? Can you escape the water and fire, can you escape the will of heaven?!"
This shout was not random.
It is a curse.
After shouting, Li Qi suddenly felt a force being mobilized.
In the vastness of the universe, it seems to be... destiny?
But there was no movement in the outside world.
The corpse took advantage of this moment to flee.
It seemed to have escaped successfully.
But Li Qi knew that the opponent was already dead.
He didn't understand how he knew, but he just had this feeling.
He saw the corpse fly far away, rushing out for dozens of miles.
At this moment, something suddenly fell from the sky.
Was it... a meteor?
Suddenly, a meteor fell from the sky.
With a loud boom, it struck the corpse's head.
Heavenly fire descended, and the tribulation struck the body. The corpse's Spiritual Essence turned to ash, and it died right there.
A corpse that could resist several Seventh-Rank cultivators was killed here by two people using various means.
However, one is the Young Master of Wu Deity Mountain, and the other is a former Fifth-Rank. Although neither is skilled in combat, they both have extensive knowledge.
Being found by them, it is indeed very difficult to find a way to survive.
Old Horse was stunned on the side.
What's going on? Why did a meteor suddenly fall?
Is there such a thing?!
But before he could recover, Li Qi mounted the horse and kicked its leg: "Let's go, see what's happening."
"I'll go too!" Shen Shuibei immediately raised her hand.
"Shen, you can't go. You should quickly use your means to contact Wu Deity Mountain and Yang Ning. You are better at long-distance communication. I'll go pick up the corpse, and then we'll see." Li Qi immediately arranged.
"…Okay, I'll listen to you." Shen Shuibei thought for a moment, nodded, and understood that it was indeed the right thing to do, so she obediently followed the arrangement.
She immediately set up a spell to try to contact the distant place.
Li Qi spurred Old Horse and headed towards where the corpse fell.
However, before they landed, Li Qi felt Old Horse's legs trembling.
"What's wrong?" Li Qi was surprised, patted the horse's neck, and asked Old Horse.
"Neigh… neigh…" Old Horse let out a low whinny, hesitating, circling in the sky, seemingly afraid to go any further.
But despite the fear, there was a hint of longing in his eyes, suppressed by something, preventing it from showing, circling in the sky.
"Something there makes you afraid, yet makes you yearn?" Li Qi frowned.
However, he immediately relaxed his expression and stroked Old Horse's mane: "What are you afraid of? I'm here. I've already killed the person. What else could hold you back? Don't worry, I'll back you up."
Hearing this, Old Horse seemed to calm down, mustered up the courage, and wanted to fly forward.
Although it flew somewhat shakily, it managed to fly all the way there.
They flew all the way to where the corpse had fallen.
Upon arrival, Li Qi immediately understood what Old Horse feared and desired.
It was... a dragon soul.
The remnant soul of a true dragon.
Though shattered, it existed as the core driving force behind the movements of the corpse.
Previously concealed, but now that it died here, there was no longer any cover.
The dragon soul was wandering unconsciously around the corpse.
When faced directly with the dragon soul, Old Horse was terrified, his four legs giving out, causing him to collapse on the ground, unable to move.
Li Qi, however, felt nothing.
He walked forward to investigate.
"It's a dragon soul... but a remnant one, only at Eighth-Rank level. A juvenile true dragon?" Li Qi observed the surroundings of the corpse and muttered to himself.
True dragons are born at Eighth Rank; occasionally some premature ones or those with affected egg qi are Ninth Rank. There is no such thing as not being ranked.
As they grow, they reach Seventh Rank upon adulthood, which means they have an inexhaustible lifespan and won't die naturally. In many worlds, they are referred to as 'immortals' or 'deities'.
This is a race inherently without age restrictions, with terrifyingly high innate values.
Seventh Rank is the minimum for adults, even if they do nothing but sleep every day.
In reality, most adult dragons are Sixth Rank, and they can easily achieve cultivation levels that other races find hard to imagine just by casually practicing.
However, the same applies: good things cannot all belong to true dragons. Corresponding to their extremely high innate value is an extremely low birth rate.
True dragons basically need a stroke of luck to give birth, so they naturally cherish their young dragons immensely.
And now, the remnant soul of a juvenile true dragon is placed here?
What does this mean?
To frame oneself and provoke conflict?
After documenting the scene, Li Qi held the dragon soul in his hand, his expression fluctuating as he pondered how to handle it.
At this moment, he suddenly noticed something else.
The surrounding dragon qi and dragon blood were moving.
And the direction of movement...
He looked up and realized that both dragon qi and dragon blood were flowing towards Old Horse.
Was Old Horse actively absorbing these things?
Li Qi did not interrupt Old Horse, since the person was already dead, and he had documented everything. He was just surprised that Old Horse would suddenly start absorbing dragon qi.
Does Unclustered Song have a method to absorb dragon qi?
No, it doesn't.
Although Longju has a part of true dragon bloodline, it is ultimately not the same species. Absorbing like this could be dangerous.
Not everything can be absorbed into the body indiscriminately.
Without the corresponding method, absorbing it will only cause trouble.
Gasoline has much higher calories than meat, but no one eats gasoline. Nuclear fuel has far more energy than ordinary matter, but eating it leads to certain death.
Because the human body cannot digest it.
Not everything can be stuffed inside; one must be careful not to kill themselves.
Generally speaking, practitioners know what can be used and what cannot.
In his impression, Old Horse should not be able to digest dragon qi.
But if Old Horse is actively absorbing it, does he have some unknown method?
Thinking for a while, Li Qi ultimately chose not to speak up and let Old Horse absorb the dragon qi.
Old Horse is not a child; he definitely knows what he is doing.
So, Li Qi tidied up his things, preserving the remaining corpse, dragon soul, and whatever essence he could save, letting the rest dissipate.
Dragon qi and dragon blood were absorbed by Old Horse lying on the spot.
Afterward, Old Horse fell into a deep sleep.
"Really, who's the mount here?" Li Qi sighed inwardly but carried Old Horse back.
Shen Shuibei is skilled in medicine, so he might as well have her take a look when they return.
Just as they arrived, Shen Shuibei was seen in a trance.
Her yin spirit was wandering, probably contacting someone from Wu Deity Mountain.
Li Qi put down Old Horse and sat beside waiting.
After a few minutes, Shen Shuibei came out of her trance, opened her eyes, and frowned, "Wu Deity Mountain says that the person they're sending is still on the way and hasn't encountered any issues. Yang Ning is still in seclusion in an affiliated grotto heaven within Wu Deity Mountain, everything is normal. That Fifth-Rank corpse isn't from Wu Deity Mountain."
Li Qi breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, there were no internal problems at Wu Deity Mountain.
"But who is this person? I just went over there and confirmed that it is indeed a Fifth-Rank corpse, but its essence is gone, leaving nothing but an empty shell filled with dead qi, dragon qi, and a dragon soul." Li Qi then showed the body he had picked up.
True to its Fifth-Rank status, even after being hit by a meteorite, it remained intact, though its Eighth-Rank Spiritual Essence had dissipated.
"And Old Horse?" Shen Shuibei tilted her head and saw Old Horse sleeping nearby.
"Old Horse absorbed the dragon blood and dragon qi seeping out, then fell asleep, probably digesting them," Li Qi explained.
Hearing this, Shen Shuibei stepped forward to examine these items.
She was knowledgeable and experienced, unlike Li Qi who mostly relied on theoretical knowledge. Therefore, Li Qi handed over all clues to her.
Rabbit first checked the scene recorded by Li Qi, then inspected the corpse and the dragon soul.
Then, she displayed a puzzled expression.
"It's a dragon soul... but not dragon blood or dragon qi. This thing... is a patchwork monster?" Shen Shuibei said with a strange tone.
"Not dragon qi? Nor dragon blood?" Li Qi was surprised.
"Yes, it's the demonic qi and blood of a creature transformed into a dragon, but the dragon soul is real, truly a juvenile true dragon. That's why I say it's a patchwork monster."
Demonic qi and blood transformed into a dragon.
Li Qi suddenly understood. It was this kind of thing.
Demons can transform, choosing their secondary form, which brings many benefits.
This transformation target doesn't have to be human; as long as it's a race with innate wisdom, and the demon has a deep understanding of it, they can choose it.
On land, most demons choose humans because it makes interacting easier and allows them to gain many human traits, eventually evolving towards becoming human and integrating into human society.
Conversely, many sea demons choose to transform into dragons.
Many types of 'dragons' come from this process, with these demons gradually evolving further along the dragon path, even becoming subspecies of dragons, such as Huilong and Jiaolong.
This has even given rise to many rumors, like 'dragon nature is inherently promiscuous', suggesting these strange dragons are hybrids.
But in reality, it's not the case; they're just demons transformed into dragons.
True dragons are extremely proud beings and aren't so casual.
Understanding this, Li Qi asked, "Then what kind of demon is this? It's so similar to dragon qi that even I didn't recognize it."
Shen Shuibei shook her head and said, "I don't know, I haven't seen it before... but the demonic qi here is very weak, mixed with dragon qi, making it hard to distinguish. Do you think this incident might be... a frame-up?"
Hearing this, the two looked at each other in shock.