Volume One: Mutation Chapter Five: Cataclysm

Liu Cong felt as if he were having a wondrous dream. In a hazy stupor, it seemed as though he was soaking in a hot spring—his whole body warm and relaxed, so comfortable that he didn’t want to move at all.

After a while, the last trace of energy surrounding Liu Cong’s body faded away. As he opened his eyes, his mind completely blank, awareness slowly returned. He looked around in confusion, only to find himself floating in mid-air.

Startled and flailing in panic, Liu Cong lost his balance in the air. Where he had once lain flat, he now found himself upside down, head pointing at the ground. The rush of blood to his head gradually calmed him, and as he examined his surroundings more closely, he realized there was nothing holding him up—no ropes, nothing at all.

Bit by bit, the memories of what happened before he lost consciousness returned. Liu Cong quickly felt his chest, letting out a sigh of relief when he discovered neither wounds nor pain.

Slowly accepting the reality of being suspended in mid-air, he started trying to regain his balance. At the first thought, he sensed a faint current of air lifting him, finally restoring himself to an upright position.

“Can I fly?” Liu Cong wondered dazedly.

He experimented further and finally confirmed it: he truly could fly—gravity seemed to have lost its hold on him. Liu Cong found he could manipulate the flow of air around him, easily controlling the currents to propel himself.

Guiding himself gently to the ground, Liu Cong felt a sense of solidity only as his feet touched the soft earth. It didn’t take long for him to realize why the ground felt so soft—beneath him, the terrain was overgrown with weeds, each blade reaching at least to his knees.

“Where am I?” Liu Cong looked around in bewilderment, thoroughly perplexed.

Where once the mountaintop had been barren, it was now covered in a dense tangle of weeds—tall and thick as chopsticks, looking remarkably sturdy. The forest at the mountain’s base was gone, reduced to nothing but battered, leafless trunks.

The entire mountain landscape now resembled something straight out of a science fiction film—a scene from an alien world.

Suddenly remembering something, Liu Cong turned sharply—at the foot of the mountain, what had once been a thriving metropolis was now in ruins, as if viewed through a nostalgic, retro movie filter.

The sky was shrouded in gray. Clusters of towering modern apartment complexes in the distance were overrun with purple plants. The once-clear Grand Canal was now choked with colorful floating trash. Like the rest of the mountain, all the trees visible were nothing but naked trunks, and weeds blanketed the city.

The familiar sights told Liu Cong that this was still Hang City, but it had undergone some cataclysmic transformation, now left lifeless and desolate.

How long had he been asleep?

Suppressing his panic, Liu Cong began to examine the changes within himself. First, his skin had become paler and more delicate, with a faintly crystalline luster. His strength had grown immensely—after long tempering, his limbs and bones felt stronger than ever. He could lift the waist-high rocks on the mountain with a single arm.

Moreover, Liu Cong sensed a mysterious energy constantly flowing within him. At a thought, he tried to summon this power—his clothes rippled, and his long hair drifted despite the still air. Black and white energies seeped from his skin, spiraling slowly around his body.

Have I become an immortal cultivator? The corner of Liu Cong’s mouth twitched as he began to study the uses of these two energies.

After some experimentation, Liu Cong formed an initial conclusion: the black energy could ignite, although he felt no heat from it. Yet as its wielder, he sensed a heart-stopping danger. The white energy could not burn; its primary use was manipulating the surrounding air—causing wind, controlling airflow—this was how Liu Cong was able to fly. Though the black-and-white divine sword was nowhere to be seen, Liu Cong could distinctly feel it embedded within his heart, circulating with his blood, radiating its mysterious energy to every corner of his body.

Despite his reckless use, Liu Cong didn’t feel the slightest depletion of inner energy. The sword within him seemed to offer inexhaustible power at his disposal. The only discomfort was that he couldn’t unleash too much energy at once—doing so brought a clear, tingling pain to his flesh.

Fortunately, as the black-and-white energies circulated within him, they continued to strengthen his body. Liu Cong was confident that as his physique improved, he’d be able to channel more and more power.

With a thought, the air currents gently swirled around him, carrying Liu Cong’s body aloft. He flew down to the mountain’s base and landed, feeling a vague ache after only a minute.

The road beneath his feet was no longer smooth; the pitted, uneven surface was a stark contrast to the once-flat street. Weeds grew everywhere. The SUV he’d left parked at the foot of the mountain was now battered and rusted, riddled with tiny holes as if strafed by machine-gun fire.

Not just his car—abandoned vehicles littered the city streets, all in the same condition.

Gazing at the battered city, Liu Cong’s face went pale. How long had he slept?

What had happened, and where had everyone gone? Where were Jiang Hao and Gu Yan?

His phone! Liu Cong remembered suddenly, fishing it out of his pocket—only to find it dead, out of power.

Quickening his pace, he strode into the city. The roads were filthy and uneven, garbage strewn everywhere. Every shop along the way was tightly shuttered; all the buildings had lost their glass, leaving empty, dark window frames like yawning black holes, devouring all hope.

“Is anyone there?” Liu Cong shouted. “Is anyone left here?”

His cries were met with nothing but silence—the entire city was dead.

“Is anyone there? Say something!” He shouted again, his voice trembling. A profound loneliness enveloped him, a hollowness seeping deep into his heart.

Standing dazed for a moment, Liu Cong pressed on, searching further. The city remained desolate and decayed, the purple vines crawling up the tall buildings swaying slightly, as if mocking him.

He stopped in front of Jiangzhe University. The once-bustling campus was now still as death. He vaguely recalled the roads lined with blossoming flowers, and the girl, more beautiful than any flower, who used to stand there. She’d tilt her head playfully, her lovely smile lighting up her face, her beautiful eyes curving into crescent moons—a vision of beauty.

Where was that girl in the flowing dress now?

The scene of their pledge just yesterday still lingered in his mind. Something just gained, now lost again?

Liu Cong collapsed to the ground, heartbroken. Only a moment ago he’d closed his eyes, and when he opened them, everything and everyone he’d once known was gone. How could he not grieve?

Those of old have vanished with the dusk.

The sun hung low, but the evening was no longer a picturesque scene—beneath the lonely sky, it seemed only a solitary youth remained, weeping.

As though sensing Liu Cong’s sorrow, a gentle warmth flowed from his heart, softly caressing his cheek.

“Are you comforting me?” Liu Cong wiped his tears away with the back of his hand, collecting himself.

Black and white energies swirled around his body, channeling down his arms and imprinting the image of a tiny sword upon each palm. The sword mark glowed faintly warm, then faded into quiet.

Liu Cong stared at his palm, silently resolving to uncover what had happened—even if he was the only soul left in heaven and earth.

By now, night was falling. The city, stripped of its dazzling lights, could only sink into darkness. Yet strangely, Liu Cong’s deep eyes could see through the gloom—he could make out even a single blade of grass a hundred meters away.

Bang!

A sudden noise echoed in the distance.

Startled, Liu Cong sprinted toward the sound. His enhanced body carried him at astonishing speed, covering hundreds of meters in little more than ten seconds.

Bang! The noise came again. Liu Cong quickly pinpointed the source—a sound from within a high-rise by the roadside.

Crouching, Liu Cong leapt up to the third floor, alighting by a window. The darkness inside gaped like a black maw, threatening to swallow all who entered.

Bang!

It was the sound of someone pounding a door! As he drew closer, Liu Cong recognized it instantly. He hurried up the stairs, and just as he reached the seventh floor and rounded the corner, a black shadow lunged at him!

Instinctively, Liu Cong raised his arms in defense, staring intently at his assailant—a young man, or at least, what should have been one.

Why “should have”? Because the youth’s face was now twisted and monstrous, his eyes blood-red and glowing with a ghostly light. His mouth was split to the corners, revealing rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth.

The creature, braced in Liu Cong’s grip, lunged forward to bite his neck.

“Damn!” In desperation, Liu Cong cursed, then shoved hard, sending the monster flying into the wall.

The creature seemed not to feel pain. Landing on its feet, it charged Liu Cong again. This time, Liu Cong met it with a powerful kick, sending the beast crashing into the wall with a thunderous crack—so hard the concrete was left riddled with cracks.

Rebounding from the wall, the monster crouched low, shook its head, then, mouth wide open, launched itself at Liu Cong once more, hands and feet scrabbling.

Liu Cong’s brow furrowed. This thing’s vitality was inhuman—his kick should have shattered any normal person’s insides, never mind the impact with the wall.

He held nothing back now. Channeling energy to his right hand, he formed a fist wreathed in black flames and swung at the creature’s head.

A dull thud rang out as flesh slammed against flesh. The monster was sent flying, its head so tough that even Liu Cong’s energy-infused fist ached from the impact.

Hissing, the creature crashed to the ground. The black flame clung to its body, swiftly consuming it. The monster screamed in agony as, in just ten seconds, it was reduced to nothing but a heap of ashes.