The Dawn of the New World

A flood of emotions welled up inside Hao Xuan upon seeing the vision. It felt both genuine and unreal at the same time.

But the worst part was that it actually made him tear up as if he knew that man in a much more personal manner despite the fact that they had never actually met.

For a very brief moment, Hao Xuan felt like there was someone or something trying to overwrite his own memories. But when he came to, a scene of carnage waited for him which promptly brought him back to the real world.

In front of him Lazar still stood in the same spot but he was frozen stiff with an expression of utter disbelief. The arm that had reached out towards Hao Xuan was separated from the rest of his body and cleanly rested on the ground.

But that wasn't even the most shocking part. Every single living creature that was standing directly behind him in the same line was cut cleanly in two.

There were no sword marks left in the ground, no residual Qi in the air. There was absolutely nothing to show that Hao Xuan had even swung the glaive...other than the row of corpses of course.

Lazar turned his head to the side to peer at his empty shoulder. He looked at the wound in an attempt to rationalize the events of the last few seconds but it made no sense. He didn't even feel the blade pierce his flesh. No, it wasn't that he didn't feel, but it never touched him.

He looked further back and saw the row of beast corpses that were cut apart in the exact same manner.

There were no blade marks, not even a sliver of killing intent. In fact, there was a glimmer of sacredness hidden in it that Lazar had not felt since the days of his own inception.

Before his ancestors affirmed to the eternal sleep, they used to tell the youngins stories that spoke of a divine race of beings that could utter a solitary word and bring about a terrifying end.

It was because of them that his kind was imprisoned on that dead rock in the first place. When they didn't kneel to these divine beings, one of them uttered a single phrase and brought an end to an entire species.

And experiencing what had happened just now, Lazar could only think of that.

It was almost as if Hao Xuan uttered the words and that desire was brought to realization. He said cut and the flesh obliged.

He turned back around to meet Hao Xuan's gaze and upon seeing the look of utter contempt in his eyes he felt ashamed for some reason. He wanted to look away but couldn't.

His head was locked into place by an unknown force. And under that human's naked gaze he felt like he had no secrets. It was prying open his darkest secrets and there was nothing he could do about it.

And at that moment he knew it was his defeat. He had lost without raising a finger in defense. His mind had given up.

"It is not yet time to undo the seal. You will stay here until I call for you. And the next time you even think about attacking me, it won't be your hand that I cut off," Hao Xuan's words echoed in the dilapidated hall, forcing awake many of the beasts and the barbarians that were standing to the side.

A couple of meters to the right and some of them might have suffered the same fate as Lazar, if not worse.

Tasgall rubbed his shoulder, somehow feeling a lingering pain in his own nerves upon seeing Lazar's condition.

Hao Xuan waved his hand and a black robe appeared in his grasp. He put it on under the thousands of pairs of scrutinizing gazes as if they weren't even there. When he was done dressing himself Hao Xuan calmly put away the glaive and glanced towards Lazar one last time.

"Do you understand? It's not yet time for you to leave."

Lazar woke up from his stupor and nodded mechanically. He was surprised that Hao Xuan wanted to leave the matter as is but elated nonetheless.

Hao Xuan smiled, "Good boy," before looking at the barbarians behind them.

"Come on, let's go, we're already late!"

Still in shock, Burak was the first one to speak up.

"O-Oh! Go, quickly!"

He led the barbarians from right between Lazar's legs and followed after Hao Xuan in complete silence, exiting the third floor without seeing any more action.

When they had passed through several identical hallways Hao Xuan suddenly came to a stop.

Burak walked up behind him, "What happened? Is there something in fro-" but before he could finish Hao Xuan fell to his knees and vomited several mouthfuls of blood.

"O-Oi, are you okay?!"

Suffice to say they were all surprised upon seeing him throw up blood out of nowhere but a moment later he started laughing.

"Hahaha, that was so close. I really didn't think I would make it," Hao Xuan spoke while wiping the side of his mouth.

Hao Xuan thought he had more than enough energy this time around to use that move but in the end it ended up sucking his vital blood and when he tried to stop it, it backfired and rebounded some of the effects.

Hao Xuan looked at his hands that had cracks all along the palms and forearm.

"That was close. Help me up quick, we need to leave before they realize I was bluffing!"