Chapter Three: The Five Elemental Arts

“What? What do you mean it can still be used?” Yue Qi was stunned for a moment, but then remembered something and smiled, saying, “I almost forgot you’re not a cultivator. For us cultivators, the Five Elements techniques are the most basic spells…”

The woman fell silent upon hearing Yue Qi’s words. After a while, she asked, “Are you a disciple of the Azure River Sword Sect?”

“Yes, my master was Yan Liang… Though I suppose you wouldn’t know him…” Yue Qi replied with pride, but when he remembered his master was gone, his expression grew somber.

Yan Liang was the old man who died protecting Yue Qi. Though Yan Liang was over seventy, cultivation made him appear young. But after that incident, his face aged rapidly. At the time, Yue Qi was in a hurry and, with the darkness and no lamp lit, he hadn’t noticed much.

“Yan Liang… Did he also… become a corpse?” The woman paused before continuing.

“No, my master died protecting me…” Yue Qi’s voice faltered as he recalled that night. After all, he was still a boy of thirteen or fourteen, and the memory left him dejected.

“So Yan Liang as well… sigh…” The woman shook her head, her voice growing low.

“Do you know my master?” Yue Qi sensed something off in her words. He hadn’t paid much attention before, but now he studied her carefully. She had a serene face, delicate figure, her bare face as pale as snow, skin smooth as warm jade, lips naturally red and tender, and two strands of hair softly brushing her cheek, adding an alluring charm. He had thought she was merely a thief who stole the sword, but her temperament was extraordinary.

She nodded, saying nothing, gazing into the distance, lost in thought.

“Are you also a disciple of the Azure River Sword Sect? But that’s odd—though I don’t know all the female disciples, I’ve seen most. Whose disciple are you?” Yue Qi grew more curious.

“My name is Bai Lian…” Bai Lian answered quietly. Perhaps because Yue Qi had saved her, the usually cold Bai Lian answered him honestly.

“Bai Lian… That name sounds familiar. But is there a disciple by that name…?” Yue Qi muttered, then suddenly widened his eyes in shock. “Bai Lian, could it be Elder Lian? The peerless genius the Three Pure Sect wanted to recruit?!”

Bai Lian remained silent, acknowledging it. Yue Qi stared at her, seeing the shadow of the legendary Elder Lian, the peerless genius, merge with the woman before him.

Elder Lian—Bai Lian—was brought back by the sect leader Bai Pinjing during his travels, reportedly found beside a lotus pond, hence the name Bai Lian. She showed exceptional talent from childhood, reaching the Connection stage at fifteen—a feat even the sect’s founder never achieved. When the Three Pure Sect heard, they sent an elder to recruit her, but Bai Pinjing intended for her to succeed him as sect leader, so he refused. Now, though only in her early twenties, Bai Lian had already become an elder by exception.

Yue Qi pursed his lips, lost in his own thoughts, but suddenly stepped back and bowed deeply, “Disciple Yue Qi greets Elder Lian!”

Bai Lian was taken aback; she hadn’t expected the boy who saved her, only a year or two younger, to act in such a manner.

“Enough. The Azure River Sword Sect may soon vanish from this world; there’s no need to mention the title ‘elder’ anymore!” The thought of her sect fading away made Bai Lian bow her head in sorrow.

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“But Elder Lian…” Yue Qi recalled the earlier battle. “Why did those two corpses…”

“After the incident, did you meet any other… living cultivators?” Bai Lian paused before saying ‘living,’ but didn’t directly answer his question.

“Only my master…” Yue Qi thought for a moment and answered honestly.

“Then, when your master fought the corpses to protect you, what technique did he use?” Bai Lian continued.

“Technique? I didn’t really pay attention, but my master was ambushed by a corpse and, before dying, he just hugged the corpse’s leg…” Yue Qi suddenly widened his eyes, remembering something.

“That’s how it was, right…” Bai Lian said softly, seeing his reaction.

Yue Qi hadn’t considered it before. His master was a Connection stage expert; even if ambushed, he should have detected it. And if mortally wounded, why embrace the corpse’s leg instead of using spells to perish together? Though he hadn’t reached the Core stage and couldn’t self-destruct, he should have been able to use spells. Yet his master only held onto the corpse, which could mean only one thing.

“Did my master’s spiritual power vanish?” Yue Qi stared at Bai Lian in shock.

“Not just your master…” Bai Lian shook her head. “All surviving cultivators have become ordinary people!”

“What?!” Yue Qi’s mind was in turmoil—first shock, then a strange joy. For some reason, the news made him happy. In this apocalypse, if he alone retained magical abilities, it meant added security.

“But I don’t know why you still have your abilities; perhaps there’s some special reason…” Bai Lian cast Yue Qi a complicated look. Since that night, her own spiritual power had begun to drain away, no matter how she tried to cultivate. She could only watch as her years of effort slipped away, a torment in itself. Now, meeting a survivor with intact powers—it was hard for anyone not to feel envy.

“Maybe I just have good luck…” Yue Qi muttered, then asked, “But those corpses can still use spells, and you saw how the disciples at the Qi Condensation stage could cast spells as quickly as Foundation stage disciples…”

“That’s what puzzles me, too. We aren’t corpses, and can’t just catch one to study the cause…” Bai Lian shook her head. “From now on, don’t call me Elder Lian. I’m barely older than you, and with only two survivors from our sect, there’s no need for formality.”

“Ah, then what should I call you? Since you’re older, how about Sister Lian?” Yue Qi seized the chance to grow closer; he never missed an opportunity to befriend a beautiful woman. Back in the sect, most female cultivators weren’t stunning, but many had charm. With his own abilities and looks, Yue Qi was always the least noticeable, and finding a beautiful Dao companion was out of the question…

Bai Lian seemed reluctant, but perhaps because Yue Qi had saved her, she agreed.

“So, Sister Lian, where will you go next?” Yue Qi asked, knowing Bai Lian was adopted by Bai Pinjing and likely hadn’t found her birth parents. In this world, what powerless woman would dare wander alone? Most importantly, his own powers hadn’t faded, so he was sure Bai Lian would follow him.

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“Where are you going?” Bai Lian asked calmly, though she was worried. This boy was also a disciple of the Azure River Sword Sect, but they barely knew each other. She didn’t know what kind of person he was, and aside from her sword, she had nothing threatening—if she brought trouble upon herself…

“I need to return to my hometown, see if there are any survivors…” Yue Qi put away his wry smile at her question.

“By the way, Sister Lian…” Yue Qi suddenly remembered something. “Do you think there are other survivors on the mountain?”

Bai Lian thought for a moment and shook her head gently. “I don’t know, but even if there are, I doubt anyone else has kept their spiritual power intact like you…”

Yue Qi felt uneasy. Why was Bai Lian so certain everyone else’s powers had vanished? Was it impossible for someone else to slip through the net, just like him?

Perhaps seeing his doubt, Bai Lian spoke sorrowfully, “The night it happened, the sect leader was discussing matters with the elders, and I happened to be present. At that moment, it all began…”

Her eyes flashed with fear. “Suddenly, the sect leader and elders noticed their power draining away—I felt it too. Then, most of the elders began to mutate, becoming the corpses you spoke of.”

“A few elders who hadn’t mutated tried to stop them, but none of us had spiritual power left—how could we succeed? The corpses’ spells never stopped, and most elders died…”

Bai Lian’s face was pale.

“I even saw those corpses… crouching down to eat the bodies of dead elders… Later, the sect leader, being stronger, lost power slower than us, so he could still cast spells. In the end, he fought desperately to save me, but…” Bai Lian’s eyes glistened with tears—she was still just a girl.

She calmed herself and continued, “I think, if even the sect leader couldn’t stop the power from vanishing, what hope was there for others? As for you… I can’t explain it.”

“If it’s a mystery, let’s just leave it be. At least I’m better off than a corpse… But since you have nowhere to go, why not come with me?” Yue Qi thought for a moment, then curved his lips into what he thought was a sunny, charming smile, and spoke to Bai Lian…