The Dawn of the New World

Hao Xuan's heartbeat jumped as he followed the Abysswalker's line of sight and finally saw the source of all the commotion, although within the territory of the domed hall no loud sounds could be heard, only distant whispers.

The noise was coming from the main grounds of the gigantic colosseum below them. The stands were filled with thousands of men and women dressed in white as they spectated battles between different sets of individuals on the ground.

They cheered and urged on the fighters who fought tooth and nail for the victory, killing each other for their sport.

There were already a few small mounds of human and beast corpses on the side with blood trails spreading all over the ground like spider webs. This had obviously been going on for quite a while before Hao Xuan arrived.

Like ancient gladiator sports of the roman empire, the spectators which mainly belonged to Dai Zhi's personal army applauded the prisoners below, spurring them towards madness for a slight chance that they might be allowed to keep their lives at the end.

Hao Xuan couldn't see clearly but fighters looked like they came from various backgrounds. There were many humans amongst their ranks but demihumans were also present among a couple of barbarians that stood out like sore thumbs. .

His mind raced with a myriad of thoughts most of which were related to the reason for this.

'Why did he want to show this to me?'

But before Hao Xuan could ask Dai Zhi finally acknowledged his presence.

"Ah, finally he's here. Come, boy," he gestured towards one of the empty seats below him, almost as if he was calling for a dog.

Stasa, Dima, Tian Zheng, and many of their followers sitting below watched on with amused expressions hoping to see some action but Hao Xuan silently walked to his seat and sat down under their piercing gazes.

Some giggled and whispered amongst themselves while others clicked their tongues in disappointment. But soon they all returned to making small talk and chatting with one another.

Only Hao Xuan was still on edge.

New rounds of food and drinks were served every few minutes by mostly nude men and women.

Dima, Stasa and a couple of others conversed with one another talking about anything from the weather to the state of the planet.

Feng Huang and Hao Xuan were the only ones sitting silently minding their own business.

Two girls sat in Tian Zheng's lap that looked like his very young daughters while two older women massaged his legs and feet as they all laughed without a care in the world. His hands moved in and out of what little fabric was covering their bodies but none of them appeared uncomfortable by his lecherous molestation.

Hao Xuan soon noticed the strange seating arrangement. Dai Zhi who was the host and owner of this entire place was sitting on the left side, Dima was sitting on the right while Tian Zheng sat in the center with an empty seat beside him.

He didn't have to see who it belonged to know the truth. And just as his thoughts came to this conclusion an attendant walked up behind Dao Zhi and whispered something in his ears.

Dai Zhi stood up and lightly clapped his hands twice. First the domed hall and then the entire colosseum fell silent, even the fighters. It was either some kind of sound amplification magic or something else but all heard him clearly.

Even Tian Zheng took a moment of reprieve from his debauchery to focus on him.

Dai Zhi flashed his iconic smile as he surveyed the many faces looking at him in reverence and respect. He seemed most comfortable in this position of power even though he wasn't the main guest today.

He cleared his throat before gently tapping his fingers on the wine glass. A huge hologram suddenly appeared in the middle of the colosseum although it was done more so by magic than tech.

Those that weren't close enough to see him clearly had to direct their attention towards the hologram.

"Today marks the beginning of something truly profound," he stated, "It is not only the day when all three great powers come together in a bid to stomp out evil on this beautiful world, but it is also a day of great celebration as today, my precious sister is 'bound' to Lord Tian Zheng in holy matrimony!"

Soft gasps sounded from within the crowd when the hologram suddenly shifted to another scene. The image of Ceni came up on the screen. She was dressed in a red and green gown that made her look more like a piece of art than an actual human being.

Her beauty silenced the crowd once again and made most of them forget what they were even here for.

She was being led by several other women and a moment later she ascended from another staircase somewhere on the right side of the hall.