The Dawn of the New World

Hao Xuan's thoughts and intentions were seamlessly translated in a way that Grey could easily understand what he wanted to do without him saying a single word.

Grey was a contracted beast and their soul contract had achieved the highest rate of synergy out of all the others made before it. But whether it was because of the soul bond or Hao Xuan's own experiences extrapolated from the memories of countless lifetimes, at this moment in time they had become one.

Hao Xuan could feel everything Grey was going through as if it was his own body. From the moment his hoof left the ground till it returned to it, every single sensation was accurately and instantly sent back to him.

And similarly Grey could sense what Hao Xuan needed even when he didn't.

Because his right arm was all but useless right now, Hao Xuan heavily favoured his left side for everything which forced Grey to counter it by leaning to the right.

Every single move was in perfect rhythm. It was a dance that required perfect harmony between both parties and they had not only achieved it but went above and beyond, especially considering it was under the threat of death.

They were surrounded on all sides by the beasts to the point that even the ground wasn't visible beneath their feet. It was a bubbling sea of red eyes, sharpened claws, and poisoned fangs coming in from all directions.

Hao Xuan not only used the Chaos lightning to clear out large groups of enemies but whenever they got too close for comfort he would throw out balls of red fire that exploded on contact.

A relatively simple trick of surrounding a small flame with compressed air made something similar to a magical grenade. It was fast, easy, and most importantly, didn't require copious amounts of Qi.

The only real requirement was understanding the basic functions of each element to control their shape, potency and power down to the last degree. Everything had to be done exactly right otherwise it would blow up in his face before he would even have the chance to throw it.

And he was doing all of this at the same time.

Some 500 meters away on the side of a small mountain stood several figures watching the scene of carnage unfold down at the valley floor.

The figure at the very front was that of a burly man with an old saber hanging from his waist.

"Exquisite swordsmanship. It's clean, precise, and without any wasted spiritual energy. His riding skills are among some of the best I have ever seen. The Qi is unique and I can't pinpoint the origin of his Law but it doesn't feel like anything simple either. That level of control and familiarity, it would take decades if not centuries for a normal cultivator to achieve without a tutor."

"Given a few years, with some guidance and aid from a proper master, there is no telling what he could achieve."

*Sigh*

"Going just by what I am seeing, he is your superior in every conceivable way," Xue Meng finished with a lamenting sigh.

He looked over to the tall shirtless figure standing next to him. His eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn't slept in days and his brow was knitted in a permanent frown.

"Tian Zheng, I respect your brother. He saved my life and I owe him a favor but I will not help you kill that youngster. I promised him that I would look after you and that is all I am willing to do."

"It...still isn't too late to change your mind. There is no reason for this level of cruelty, you must understand that. The only reason your brother was able to rise above it was because he could control his urges-"

"My brother is a coward!" Tian Zheng cut him off.

He was so full of rage looking at Hao Xuan that he could barely keep himself from jumping down. Only when he met Xue Meng's cold gaze did he regain some composure.

"I have not seen or heard from my brother in over three decades. He ran away from home, from his responsibility and position, forcing me to step in. I have no love for him anymore. The only thing I want is revenge."

His gaze shifted back towards Hao Xuan, "That...no name vagrant disrespected me in front of EVERYONE. Because of him, people laugh at me behind my back. They call me weak, WORTHLESS! They think I don't hear them but I know everything! He thinks he can fuck me over and live a happy life? Hahahahaha!"

"I will RUIN him. I will take from him everything one by one, until there is nothing and no one left standing by his side. I will make his worst nightmares come true and there will be nothing he can do about it."

He looked over his shoulder towards an oversized shadowy figure sitting at the very back.

"Go and welcome him."