The Dawn of the New World

"Patience. Breathing. Focus."

"Why does everything look different? How long was I out?"

*Beep*

Even though the Hao Xuan was talking to himself Baracus jumped in at the right time.

"You were unconscious for approximately 287 hours."

Hao Xuan's eyes swiveled left and right, between the battle going on at the city gates and his surroundings which were filled with the dark figures of his past.

"Almost 12 days. It felt longer, way longer. But now that I'm up, there is a lot that needs to be done."

"Do you require my assistance?"

"Yeah. I need you to keep track of things for me and record everything from now onwards, every word that I say, every move that I make has to be documented."

"Confirmed."

"Can you access my memories? Some things are a bit hazy and I can't remember all of the lives that I experienced but the ones that I can need to be recorded along with everything else."

"Can not confirm. Accessing memories requires the highest level of access to your subconscious which has been forbidden by Progenitor unless given explicit permission. Do you give authorization?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Please mention time period."

"Until I return to the Beast World."

|Authorization Received|

|Subliminal Interference Confirmed|

|Beginning Data Log|

The nanites gathered at the base of Hao Xuan's brain before disseminating through the temporal lobe and converging in the hippocampus a moment later.

Hao Xuan's vision flickered for a moment before returning to normal.

"Everything good?"

"Affirmative. Zero errors encountered."

"Good. I want you to make a list of all the things I have to do. Remind me if I miss something."

"Confirmed."

"Find out who helped me get back. Who is the 'savior' that Eurig guy was talking about. Also why their forms are different. They are certainly not human. Wern said they were demons so maybe they have something to do with Ba'al."

"Second, find out what caused me to be sent there. Why was I forced to live through a million hells? Who was behind it and most importantly why. It had something to do with Xu Qing, I remember seeing her in a lot of them. Remind me to talk to Jin Wang about it as well."

"Third, kill Tian Zheng and Dai Zhi no matter what."

"Fourth, find out what happened in the prison. Did the creature wake up?"

"And speaking of Jin Wang, I have to talk to him about a few other things as well. He has been hiding far too much from me and it's time I find out what. Someone is pulling the strings from the shadows and I need to know exactly why they are targeting me."

"Qing'er also said something about that, that they will reach out to me and that I shouldn't trust them. Maybe this savior guy is one of them."

"Noted, all points added and reminders set."

"Mhm. Those are the main things but for now, I have to help these guys fend off the attack and then find a way to save that boy's sister. I can still hear him somehow," Hao Xuan rubbed his forehead in annoyance.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I have to break through as well. Every inch of my body feels tight and constricted as if there are invisible chains holding my flesh back. Everything feels uncomfortable," he clenched his fist as he said that and felt that same old sensation.

"I'm mostly ready to breakthroug- Wait...why do I know this feeling?" his mind raced for a minute before the answer presented itself in the form of memories from some of the other lifetimes.

"Oh yeah, I remember now. I was a vagabond sword cultivator roaming the outer circles looking to make my name. I found a half-dead man when I was scavenging a recent battlefield and saved his life. In return, he took me in as a disciple and taught me even though I was shit at it."

"I managed to reach the Saint Realm with his help before we were both ambushed and killed but...I remember all of it. Does that mean-"

Hao Xuan quickly closed his eyes and focused his Qi, directing it towards the palm of his right hand which was held in front of his chest. The index and middle fingers were facing the sky while the rest were curled up.

The air lightly hummed around his hand as he recalled the teachings once again.

Chaos Qi surrounded the tip of his fingers before suddenly igniting a bright yellow flame that rose into the air for a meter and a half before taking the shape of an ethereal blade.

"Qi Blade: First Flame!"

He suddenly changed positions and grabbed at the air below the blade. A matching guard and hilt emerged from the palm of his hand.

"It...works!"

Hao Xuan opened his eyes and inspected the flaming sword in his grasp.

"A Spirit Skill passed down by the users of the 'Subtle Blade'. I remember it, and if I remember it, I can use it!"