The Dawn of the New World Chapter 1498

"Where our worlds follow a set of strict laws that govern all of reality, the Umbral Planes consider them nothing more than guidelines. This means reality itself is twisted within the Umbral Planes, bent and even broken according to the wills of those strong enough to dominate it. Concepts such as time and space have no place there."

Hao Xuan then finally pointed at the line separating the two groups of stones.

"This is the veil- an incorporeal curtain of barriers that keep the reality-bending energies of the Umbral Planes from spilling over to the material planes."

By now the flames were high enough to light up everything in the vicinity. The rocks closer to the firepit, the ones that represented them and the Material Planes were casting shadows that reached across the veil.

"Do you see those shadows projecting on the Umbreal Planes? That's exactly how we are."

Hao Xuan continued, "Almost every mortal is born with a connection to the umbral planes, although the strength of this connection greatly varies. So everything we do is mimicked- to a degree- on the other side. Our every thought, every action, every dream and nightmare is forever floating somewhere in the neverending chaos of the Umbral Planes...accessible to anyone with the means to reach it."

He looked in Liet's direction, "Some people have a stronger- more sensitive connection than others, just like you. Then there are ones like me who have a strong enough soul to forcefully conjure a more powerful connection even though we weren't born with one."

"Wait wait wait," Liet quickly interjected, "That doesn't make sense at all! If everyone has a presence in the Umbral Planes then why can I only sense people who are similar to me? Shouldn't I be able to sense everyone all the time?"

Hao Xuan's brow rose, "Are you a God? Or an all-powerful ancient entity born of the void?"

"No..."

"That's why. You can't sense everyone simply because you are not strong enough to do so. That's the main difference between us and the so-called 'eternal' races. Gods and Demons usually have souls that are fused with their physical forms which allows them to have a much stronger connection, to the point of even entering the Umbral Planes at will."

Hao Xuan drew a few lines connecting a rock from the Umbral Planes to the shadows of several rocks from the Material planes.

"This is how gods, demons, and other spirits work. They can perceive our presence within the Umbral Planes without any regard for time or distance which lets them eavesdrop on our prayers, wishes, and whims without limit."

"Gods use this to consolidate their strength, turning the prayers of mortals and any actions done in their name into raw power. Demons use the fear and dread their presence causes to become stronger, feeding on the negative emotions and actions of mortals. Understand? Every word ever uttered is out there, floating in the neverending tumultuous storms of the Umbral Planes."

Hao Xuan spoke for several minutes without pausing and even after all that, he only managed to clear the very basic concepts of their universe.

It was not until nearly ten minutes later that Liet spoke up again. He seemed at a loss for words, trying his damnedest to stitch together a coherent sentence.

"I should- I want to but- it makes sense to doubt your words, having only met less than an hour ago but by simply hearing what you had to say I- my presence within the void- er sorry, the 'Umbral Planes' has become stronger. How is this even possible??"

Hao Xuan lightly chuckled, "Didn't I say that earlier? The more you know about the Umbral Planes the stronger your presence becomes over there. Just having that knowledge is enough to add a lot of weight to your 'shadow' as you called it."

Liet leaned in, whispering in a hushed tone.

"Aren't you worried about the denizens of the Umbral Planes? I have only encountered them once or twice but they are wicked creatures. If our presence is becoming stronger on the other side, won't they be able to sense us too?"

Hao Xuan bobbed his head up and down like a proud teacher, "That's a very good point and yes, they can! That's why they say even knowing too much is dangerous. But I can sense you have already discovered a way to hide your presence quite well, and as for me?" his lips arched upwards, "There are a few very powerful entities that will do that on my behalf. So you see it's not much of a problem since it's just us-"

His eyes widened as both Liet and Hao Xuan realized that they weren't alone.

They simultaneously turned in Nae Shin's direction who was looking at them with just as much of a shocked expression.

"W-What do I do?!" he asked in a panic.

"SHHH!"

Hao Xuan's hand shot out like a vine to shut him up. Liet stood up, closing his eyes while extending a hand in Nae Shin's direction. All the color from his face washed away in an instant.

"It's too late...they're already here..."