The Dawn of the New World

Hao Xuan's body visibly relaxed as he stared into the man's eyes before shaking his head. He felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders but not because of what he said.

"There is nowhere to go back to, brother. All my friends are buried here, how could I face them in the next life if I turned back now? Everything we worked for, everything we fought and bled for, it has led us to this moment. What kind of a man would I be if I were to turn my back on it now?"

He had made up his mind and that alone had set him free. It was like they were young again.

He still vividly remembered the first time they had met. They were both orphans born in the Temple of War like countless others.

It was a ruthless place, no one cared for them, and no one protected them from anything or anyone. Hao Xuan considered himself to be one of the lucky ones even though he had to beg for water and food for as long as he could remember.

He used to live from one meal to the next, sleeping on the streets among the vermin in dirt and filth, he didn't know any better because no one had told him otherwise. To him this was the only way to live and he had accepted that through and through.

Then one day some random snot-nosed brat showed up in front of him leading a whole gang of orphans just like them.

[Aren't you tired of living this way? Fighting for scraps amongst ourselves while they enjoy the fruits of our parent's labour, why are you not angry with them?! Come with me, follow me and we will never have to depend on anyone else but ourselves!]

A barely 10-year-old child had said those words to him and he didn't even understand them completely at the time. All he wanted was a roof over his head and a warm bed to sleep in but...none of that would come so easily.

It would have to be bought and paid for by blood, sweat, and tears!

The woman was listening to their conversation and could only shake her head in discontent.

"The entire military arm of the Temple of War stands before you now. Ten thousand Sword Kings led by a thousand Sword Saints from across the known worlds have come down to face you. If you bow to the righteous powers and accept them as your lords then I personally give you my word that no one else needs to die today. Do not be foolish, there is nothing you can do now!"

The man couldn't even take her words seriously. The life they had lived, there was no compromise in that.

"You were taught by them from birth. Taught how to hold a sword with dignity and use it to exercise your will onto others. But we did not have such luxuries," he looked down at the simple-looking saber in his hands and muttered weakly.

"Ours is a weapon of servility, of the low-born men and women who die in the billions across the ten worlds. We who are unsuitable to wield your noble swords had only our wretched sabers to depend on. Allow me to educate you on the true nature of my blade!"

Even Hao Xuan couldn't hold himself back from letting out a chuckle or two. His mind was clear and his goal simple.

"How long do you need to break through to the final realm?" Hao Xuan inquired.

The man let out a devilish smile and held up three fingers, "Three minutes, that's all I need."

"Then you will have it! I will be your Dao Protector."

Several of the men and women floating overhead laughed uproaringly while one of them, an old man dressed completely in white with a long flowing beard stepped forward with a peerless white sword.

He was livid!

"The audacity! A mere slave thinks he can stop US!? My fellow saints, allow me to show this mongrel the reality of his unfortunate circumstances!"

He didn't wait for the others to respond and struck. Not that any of them would have stopped him anyway.

Like a flash of moonlight his blade appeared in front of Hao Xuan's neck the very next moment. Some would call it underhanded to strike when the opponent least expected it but Hao Xuan was not one to complain.

He didn't even blink when the sword scrapped against his armguard because there was no force behind it.

"AAAH!"

An ear-piercing scream erupted from the old man's mouth as his entire shoulder slid off his body.

The Sword Express was the first to react. One of her fire swords shot forth and stood in front of the old man just in time to block an attack that no one else saw coming.

Her eyes narrowed to slits, "You...what did you do just now!"

The man with the saber had already taken a seat behind Hao Xuan but he looked up at the woman coldly.

"Now you will see why even the old monsters feared us enough to send you down here. You will all be buried here."