The Dawn of the New World Chapter 1558

The visualized sword flew in a straight line for several minutes before the soul power Hao Xuan had used to create the blade began to dissipate.

He slowed down and made landfall in an area that seemed rather safe and empty.

There were red and orange stones jetting out of the sand every few meters to create quite an impressive forest that seemed to go on endlessly.

'That's where the chasm is,' Hao Xuan glanced to the right side where he could still hear the wraiths in the distance, 'So I wasn't too far off at the start. Let's give it another go then...'

After closing his eyes Hao Xuan tried to imagine the sword again, using his soul power to create an outline and then filling it in with a mixture of 'sword intent' and even more soul power.

But as soon as the outline stabilized and he poured in the first bit of sword intent, the entire image began to fragment before shattering into a dozen pieces in his hand.

'What the hell!' he yelled out of shock and before he could even process what happened another voice spoke up from behind one of the rock pillars.

"What the hell!"

'?!?'

Hao Xuan held his breath and immediately flew into the air. If something could get that close without setting off any alarms then it could only mean it was too strong for him to even sense its presence.

'Who are you??' he sent out the words via spiritual sense in every direction and the same voice repeated them.

"Who are you??"

The voice was slightly higher pitched but otherwise had an identical inflection and voiceprint that could fool anyone.

'Very funny.'

"Very funny."

Hao Xuan's eyes narrowed, 'There.'

"There..." it mimicked again which allowed him to pinpoint

He could tell exactly where it was coming from so when Hao Xuan floated over to the specific rock, the source of the sound came into view.

It was an indistinct blob of squirming black mass roughly 15 centimeters (6 inches) in size.

'What...are you...' he muttered under his breath, making it repeat the same words.

"What...are you..."

When it spoke its entire body shuddered. It had no energy signature to speak of nor was it anything like a traditionally organic being.

Hao Xuan began his descent once he was sure it was not dangerous. The 'creature' rolled over to him when he landed, allowing him to get a better look.

He kneeled, 'No orifices. No limbs of any kind, no energy, or even any kind of matter that I can identify. What ARE you?'

"What ARE you?" it repeated.

'What, should I add lazy to the list too? Not gonna repeat the rest of what I said?'

'-rEp-p the rest of what I said?"

'??'

'Is it too much?'

"Is it too much?"

'It is, huh?'

"It is, huh?"

'Bananananananananana!'

"BanananananananaNaNN-"

The creature's body vibrated for a few seconds as if it had overloaded.

'Okay, in small doses then.'

"Okay, in..."

Hao Xuan 'played' around with it for a few minutes before concluding his results.

'A peculiar little thing but it's harmless...and useless. It would be considered a bottom feeder around these parts...whatever it is.'

While he was talking to himself the creature rolled over behind one of the rocks and disappeared somewhere but as soon as he started moving it started rolling behind him.

'Okay it was a little funny at first but I'm over it. Go away, shoo!' he yelled at the thing but it had no reaction at all.

*Sigh*

'What am I even doing? It can't comprehend anything I say. Just repeating a few words is all it can manage.'

Hao Xuan put its existence out of his mind and focused on revisualizing the sword but just like the last time it shattered into countless small shards of light and evaporated into nothingness.

'Hmmm, something is interfering with my energy.'

"Interfering with my energy..."

He jumped on top of one of the nearby rock pillars to get a better look. While keeping the chasm to his right and the rock forest to the left, Hao Xuan skirted the edge without any particular goal in mind and soon enough his efforts paid off.

A small humanoid figure ran between the rock pillars a couple hundred meters away.

Hao Xuan picked up and stealthily made his way over, catching the little creature in the act.

It was digging something out from under the foot of one of the deformed rock pillars while warily keeping an eye on its surroundings.

It was wearing clothes but its body was shrouded by a hazy grey matter so he couldn't see any distinct features. But if its size was any indication of its age, it was probably a youngling of the Djinn clan.

'Found you!'

"Found you!"

"!!!!"

The Djinn child almost jumped out of its clothes. It looked back and saw Hao Xuan's bright white figure hovering in the distance.