The Dawn of the New World

Hao Xuan noticed none of these changes because his attention was directed towards the enemy in front of him.

The two-meter-tall hulking figure ran through the smaller beasts as if they were made of paper while charging straight towards him.

Hao Xuan could feel the immense power behind that body but strangely enough, he couldn't feel any Qi from it. Still, he kept his guard up and from a distance fired one fire ball.

His plan was to strike from the side as soon as the figure dodged in either direction but to his surprise, it ran right into it without any hesitation.

His brow furrowed slightly, 'What a tough bod-'

But his thoughts were cut short when a blood-curdling scream erupted from its mouth as it rolled on the ground trying to put out the flame.

Hao Xuan's brow knitted even more. Thinking it to be a trap he threw out two more fire balls while the figure was still trying to put out the first one and its screams became even louder.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Hao Xuan whispered, bewildered at his enemy's reaction.

Even someone with a basic understanding of cultivation could put out the flame after the initial impact but what he was seeing was anything but.

Not to mention that its screams sent chills down his spine. It made him feel like he had thrown a newborn into a cauldron. There was only confusion and fear behind those screams.

He stopped attacking and watched from a distance.

Eventually, the flames were put out and the figure stopped moving completely.

'Is it dead?' he thought but a second later its body jerked and was pulled back to its feet.

It looked like a puppet that was being controlled by someone else. Hao Xuan's instincts made him stay his hand for some reason as he cautiously urged Grey to move a little closer.

Killing a few beasts that were blocking his path Hao Xuan now stood just a few meters away from the figure. He could see it much more clearly now.

There were stitches lining the entirety of its body like a puzzle. Some parts were replaced entirely with flesh from other beings it looked like, that belonged to neither man nor beast.

He looked like Frankenstein's monster but ten times worse because whoever made this thing did not care about appearances.

Then the smell of rotting flesh carried over to Hao Xuan, drilling into his senses like the countless worms that could be seen wriggling under the figure's skin.

Even Grey had to take several steps back because of its horrid intensity.

"What filthy magic! Who is your master, creature?! COME OUT!" Hao Xuan screamed out of anger.

But he was angrier with himself because the thing standing in front of him was not human. It wasn't even alive. It was a half-assed attempt at creating an undead that had gone very wrong.

A real undead creature could not feel any pain whatsoever. The strength and tolerance of its body were almost unparalleled. Nothing could match its endurance and if done right, it was a nightmare for any ill-prepared opponent.

But the thing in front of him was a damned joke. It wasn't even entirely dead!

And right on queue Tian Zheng walked out of the shadows while clapping.

"What a great performance, truly wonderful!"

He was smiling ear to ear.

"But a bit too cautious don't you think? Where is the man who killed Stasa in front of thousands? Surely he would not be afraid of a silly little 'thing' like this," he finished by kicking the undead in the back.

It was obviously not expecting it and easily fell face-first into the dirt. It tried to get up but Tian Zheng stepped over its body and sat down over its shoulders while it stayed in the planking position.

Hao Xuan's eyes immediately became cold.

"You."

"Me indeed. Are you not happy to see me?" Tian Zheng inquired cheekily, resting his chin on the back of his hands.

Hao Xuan's killing intent surged and he almost struck out but stopped at the last minute when he remembered Dai Zhi's warning.

He glanced left and right but couldn't see anyone.

"I know you are here, why don't you show yourself? Surely you don't need to lower yourself to the standards of this trash and hide in the shadows like a coward."

Tian Zheng's merry mood immediately turned solemn.

"You fu-" he was about to curse but Xue Meng's voice cut him off.

"How did you know I was here?"

With an almost soundless hum, Xue Meng appeared right next to Tian Zheng.

Or that's how it looked to everyone else but with Hao Xuan's far superior reflexes he was just barely able to make out his silhouette landing there from somewhere far away.

'What incredible speed!'