Awakening of the Ancient: Rise of the Fallen

Xu Ming sat up and walked towards the door.

Valeria was sleeping at the moment.

Xu Ming opened the door and saw the person standing outside. It was a woman. She was Elder Mu that was assigned to handle matters related to Xu Ming's core trials.

"It's time for your test. Let's go," She told Xu Ming.

"Alright. Just give me a minute. I'll change my clothes. I'll be right back," Xu Ming told her before he walked back. He didn't forget to close the door behind him.

He walked back to his room and tried to wake up Valeria, who was still sleeping.

"Hmm? What is it? Can't you let me sleep?"

Valeria woke up and looked towards Xu Ming with her sleepy eyes.

"You can sleep all you want after I leave. Just hear me out for a while." Xu Ming told her. "I'm leaving for some time. It might take a few days, but I'll be back. Just don't create any trouble."

"You're leaving? Where are you going? Let me come with you," she answered.

"I'm going to the promotion trials. It's going to be tough and dangerous. There's no need for you to come," Xu Ming told her.

"What are you talking about? Of course, I'm coming. It's not like anyone else can see me. Let alone humans; even beasts can't see me. I won't be harmed in the least. I want to see how the trials here are like," Valeria told him. "If you aren't here, I might go to that place to look at the Spirit Crystals. Think carefully."

Xu Ming sighed as he looked at her stubborn expression. He did agree with one thing, though. The trial's dangers to her were almost non-existent. No one would even know about her unless she spoke.

"Alright. You can come with me, but on one condition," Xu Ming said to her. " You can't speak a single word unless we are alone." 

"I agree," Valeria said happily as she flew up and landed on his shoulders.

She sat on his shoulders.

"Do I look like a carriage?" Xu Ming asked.

"Come on. I'm as light as a feather. Just let me sit here for a while," Valeria replied.

Xu Ming shook his head as he began walking towards the door.

He opened the door.

"Hmm? Are you not changing your clothes?" 

Elder Mu was surprised as she saw Xu Ming dressed in the same clothes.

"Yeah. These clothes are just fine," Xu Ming answered her.

"Alright. Come with me." 

She brought her flying beast out of the beast bag.

It was a Giant Snow White Eagle that was 4 meters long. Each of its wings had a length of 4 meters as well.

Elder Mu sat on top of the snow-white eagle 

"Come up," she said to Xu Ming.

Xu Ming also climbed on the Eagle and sat behind her.

"Aren't we going to the Core Sect? It's not too far away. You didn't use a beast last time, why now?" Xu Ming asked.

"I understand," Xu Ming nodded his head.

The beast started flying towards the core sect.

"You said that the test would be decided on the date. Do you know what the test is? Has it been decided?" Xu Ming asked.

"You will know when we get there. What I can say is that many people are waiting for you there. You've attracted a lot of attention, and they are all eager to see how you perform," she replied.

Xu Ming didn't react. He didn't care about the attention or fame. What he wanted was to get in the core sect.

Suddenly, he thought of something.

"Will Battle Fairy be there?" he asked.

"She? No, she won't be there, I think. She should be busy elsewhere," Elder Mu told him.

"Oh."

Xu Ming looked down.

"Don't worry about it. If you succeed in the trial this time, then you would get a position that would be equal to her. You will break her record, and you can even become the personal disciple of the sect master. You will become the 3rd contender for the Sect Master position," Elder Mu said.

"I don't want the sect master position. I only want to meet her," Xu Ming reacted with almost no happiness.

"Geez, you're a strange person. Generally, a person would be happy at the mere thought of being able to become the sect master, but you, on the other hand, are just so emotionless. It's really strange. You should see how important the position of the Sect Master is. It's the ultimate end goal,' she said as she looked with Xu Ming weirdly 

"No, that's not an end goal. It will never be the end goal for me. My end goal is something that will really be the end of it all. The end of life's mission," Xu Ming muttered.

"What is your end goal?" Elder Mu asked him.

"My end goal is not something I can tell you."

Xu Ming refused to answer her.

"Sigh, you can't even imagine what I would give to have a chance to be the Sect Master. You just don't understand the value of it. As a cultivator, becoming the Sect Master of a sect like the Mighty Demon Sect is a dream come true. You might not have it as a goal, what this is what every Cultivator here would strive for if they had the opportunity," Elder Mu said.

"It that's what the cultivators here strive for, then they are all wrong. As a cultivator, the greed of a position is the worst. A cultivator shouldn't be greedy for things, whether they are resources, property, position, or anything else. The position is only temporary. You know that positions don't matter when the devils rule the land of the gods," Xu Ming said.

"Devils rule the land of gods? What are you trying to say? What land of gods?" Elder Mu asked. "Your fantasy and your thoughts are so interesting sometimes. The words you use to express them sounds poetic."

"The land of gods is the place that wouldn't have been ruled by the devils. A day will come when things will set its course right," Xu Ming said.

"I still don't understand. Maybe I'm too old to understand the terms kids use nowadays," she smiled as she shook her head.

They continued flying for a long time before she finally said something.

"We're here,"