Awakening of the Ancient: Rise of the Fallen

Xu Ming found himself back in the dark place, but this time, he didn't see the boy there. The place looked empty.

"Did he really leave this place?" Xu Ming muttered as he looked around, but neither the boy nor his bird was found.

"Sigh, This is weird. Now I have to stay alone in this prison-like place until I wake up," Xu Ming said as he depressingly gazed in the darkness.

He stayed there for hours but instead of wasting time, he started to comprehend the Sword Art of Destruction. He had already read the whole manual, but he hadn't tried to comprehend it. He was hoping to comprehend it after coming back from the trial, but he fell asleep as soon as he came back.

"One sword to destroy everything," 

' I have comprehended the 3 strikes of heavens which gave me some insight and understanding on the way of the sword, but I just say, that insights were nothing in front of what I'm seeing here. Both the skills are so different. Although I expected the Sword Art of Destruction to be stronger, it's on a whole different level. I can't even comprehend it yet as it needs the understanding of Sword Intent which I haven't formed yet,' Xu Ming thought.

"The main problem is how to form a sword intent. I don't have the books that teach how to form it. I know father had sword intent, but how did he turn it?" Xu Ming let out with a frown on his face.

"When I wake up, I need to find a book about sword intent in the sect," he muttered.

After a few more hours, Xu Ming woke up. He had slept for over 12 hours and it was already midnight when he woke up.

"In the morning, I'll officially become the Inner Sect and then I should be allowed to enter the skill hall of the Inner Sect. Hopefully, they will have something useful. I don't want this skill to go to waste. If I'm not wrong, it should be the second strongest skill amongst the 3, right after the Thunder Storm," 

He stood up as he left the courtyard.

'It's dark outside, but this darkness is nothing like the darkness of that place,' Xu Ming thought as he continued walking.

It had been so long since he actually felt his surroundings in peace. He kept walking and after some time, reached a Small Hut.

He stopped before the hut as he observed it. It was the same hut he had spent his 3 years before becoming the disciple of the outer sect.

Xu Ming stepped towards the hut and knocked on the door but the door wasn't opened.

"It is late, they must be sleeping," Xu Ming muttered as he turned back and left.

He got back to the old lake. The lake still looked as empty as he had left it. Only half of the water was left, but it was still enough to swim in it.

As he got near the lake, he saw a girl swimming in the lake. The girl saw him as well.

"Who are you? How dare you peak at me!" The girl let out as he covered her body in water. Only her head was visible.

"I'm not here to peak at you. It's the place I come often. You already know it,"  Xu Ming said.

"I know it? How can I know it! It's my first time seeing someone like you! You peeked at me and now you're making excuses? You're quite shameless, aren't you?" The girl replied.

"Oh right. I guess you wouldn't recognize me now that I look like this. I'm the same boy that you met thrice at this place," Xu Ming let out. 

He had already recognized the girl and it was the same one that came here when he was still a servant and cultivating here, but she didn't recognize him as he had grown up.

"I met you 3 times here? Wait, You're that kid? What the heck? How did you grow up so fast?" The girl exclaimed in surprise as he understood what he was talking about.

"It's something related to cultivation. I don't know the exact term for it, but it's when your body grows after you get a major breakthrough," Xu Ming explained.

"Something like that exists?" She asked with a weird look on her face.

"I think it does exist. You have the proof right before your eyes," Xu Ming replied.

"Wait a minute! Now that you have grown up, doesn't that mean that a grown-up man had seen my naked body 3 times? What the heck! How do you want to take responsibility?!" She called out as she glared at him.

"What responsibility?" Xu Ming asked in confusion. He didn't understand what she meant.

"Before my mother died, she used to tell me things. She used to say that if a woman is seen by a man without clothes 3 times, she must marry that man," The girl said.

"That is stupid," Xu Ming replied straight.

"That's not stupid! You need to take responsibility!" The girl said as she glared at him.

"You know, my mother also told me a few things. She once told me that I should stay away from crazy women. I think I now understand what she talked about," Xu Ming said as he turned back to leave.

"Her wait!" the girl came out of the water and ran after Xu Ming, but as she was running after him, she stumbled. Xu Ming heard her voice and turned back only to find her speedily coming in his direction.

He could see that she was about to fall. He stepped towards her and reached out his hand to prevent her from falling. Fortunately, he managed to stop her.

The girl wasn't wearing any clothes, and Xu Ming's hands are on her shoulders holding her at her place.

He could see her everything, but his focus was on her face at the moment.

"It's the 4th time you saw me like this. You must marry me," She said to him.

"It was you that came running without clothes. It doesn't feel like something a girl that is concerned about her body being seen would do!" Xu Ming responded.

"I didn't have time to get dressed! You were going away! I don't even know the courtyard you stay in!" She said with an upset look on her face as she stood up straight.

"Sorry, but I'm not changing my mind. I'm not marrying you for something so stupid," Xu Ming said as he again turned back to leave.

The girl's face turned red as she saw him leave.

"You! How dare you turn your back at your wife!" She bellowed as she kicked towards his back.

Xu Ming turned back and caught her leg. She could see that he was way stronger than her and she wasn't even close to being his match.

"I don't know much about marriage, but I think married people are supposed to respect each other. Just this small gesture alone proves that you're not worthy to be with me," Xu Ming said before he released her legs and left.

The girl just stood there with a blank look on her face as she watched him leave.

"He! What does he think he is? How dare you disrespect me like that? He thinks that just because he's stronger, I can't do anything?" The girl said with clenched teeth.

She hurriedly got dressed and chased after Xu Ming.

She saw him enter his courtyard.

"I'll definitely get you to accept me as your wife, even if I have to use unfair means!" She said as she stepped towards his courtyard.

Xu Ming wasn't concerned about someone breaking into his courtyard and stealing anything as he kept everything in his storage ring which was always on his finger and invisible, that's why he didn't pay particular attention to security.

Although he locked the door, he didn't even check the windows. The windows were unlocked, but he didn't know it.

He asked back to his bedroom and sat in a meditative position as he began cultivating.

The girl walked closer to his courtyard. She tried pushing the door but found it locked. Then she walked towards the windows. The window opened without much effort, bringing a grin on her face.

'I'll see how you deny me now! My mother's words won't go to waste!' She thought as she entered his room.

She walked towards his bedroom and saw him sitting in a meditative position in Cultivation.

'You underestimated me, but not for long,' She thought as she stepped towards him.