Awakening of the Ancient: Rise of the Fallen

"It's an important establishment here where people can fight or make bets. The arena has some Cultivators that are the disciples of the sect. They keep their faces hidden by masks and fight. The winner gets lots of treasures. The others can also bet on the flights, and if they win, they get more money according to the betting rate," The servant explained.

"Also, if someone from the audience wants to take part in the fight, they can also jump in the arena and challenge the winner. If they win, they get the treasures instead," He added. 

'So, it's that. A place for entertainment and for poor disciples to get treasures through fighting,' Xu Ming thought.

"Should we see the fight? It should be going on right now as well," The servant reminded Xu Ming.

"Alright. I do have some time for it. Let's check it," Xu Ming responded as he started walking towards the Betting Arena.

Xu Ming pushed the doors open and left the place with his servant. The place had a lot of people, but it wasn't crowded enough to make standing here uncomfortable. 

There were loud cheers everywhere. Xu Ming stepped forth, and he was able to see the ring where two masked Cultivators were fighting.

People were cheering for their favorite supporter.

'This seems fake. Those fighters are faking it,' Xu Ming thought as he watched the battle for five minutes. He could notice some small details that made him believe that the fight was staged.

'Is this a scam to get as much money as they can from bets? Make the one that got more bets to lose and rake in the money. It will be a profitable business if they control the fighters.

"We're leaving," Xu Ming told the servant as he started walking towards the exit. The servant followed closely behind him.

"Prince Li, is that you?" 

Just as Xu Ming was about to leave, he heard a voice from behind.

He looked back and saw a man in his late twenties walking towards him with a glass of wine in his hand.

Xu Ming didn't know about him, and he didn't ask the servant either. It would be too much stretching if he asked the servant a question at this time.

"Have you come to bet again? Come with me. Let's go to my cabin. Although it's too late for this fight, you can bet on the next fight. It'll start right after this one," the man said to Xu Ming.

From the man's words, Xu Ming understood some things. It seemed like Li Mu often came here to bet. He was a prince, and he got lots of money and resources, so it wasn't difficult to believe that he wasted money here.

"Not today. I just remembered that I had something to do. Bye," Xu Ming replied as he turned back and walked out with his servant, leaving the stunned man behind.

****

Xu Ming continued walking through the place and saw many things.

One of the buildings that he saw was called the Artificer Hall. It was a place where one could pay for weapons or treasures to be crafted by their favorite artificer in the sect. Although all of the Artificers were the disciples of the Sect, they charged a lot of money for crafting Artifacts, and the person that was paying them was supposed to arrange for the materials as well.

It was a very famous place. Xu Ming could see people going in and out of this place.

Another place he saw was the Dark Hall of Pain. It was a very unique place, as well. Xu Ming hadn't expected that there would be a place like this. 

It was a place where a person went to get beaten. That was literally it. Even though it sounded impossible, he was told that this place was crowded a lot of the time as it was so popular.

He also believed that since he saw a lot of people entering the place with his own eyes.

Inside this place, a person was beaten badly, but the beating was somehow so precise that even though it hurt, it also unlocked some of the blocked acupoints of people and helped them get stronger. Xu Ming was intrigued by the idea, but he didn't enter the place to see it.

He continued walking ahead. He didn't want to be beaten since he believed that all his acupoints were already clear because of his origins. The only thing that he lacked was the Origin Energy.

"I feel spirit energy nearby!"

Xu Ming was walking when he heard Valeria's voice in her ears. She sounded excited.

"Where?" Xu Ming muttered in a low voice.

"On your left side. From the forest," Valeria replied to him.

Xu Ming looked to his left and saw a forest there.  He wasn't focusing on the forests along the way since he had seen many in the sect. It was like the sect had these forests as gardens.

Xu Ming turned to his left and started walking towards the forest.

"Master, wait! You can't go there. Have you forgotten that this forest belongs to him?" 

Xu Ming's servant called out from behind.

Xu Ming stopped as he turned back.

'Is it forbidden to enter the forest? It sounds like private property. Should I sneak in at night to see what's inside or ask the permission of the owner?' Xu Ming wondered.

"I know it belongs to him," Xu Ming told the servant casually. I just want to look from closer. It's not like he will punish me for looking at the forest without entering it," Xu Ming said to the servant as he resumed walking towards the forest.

He stood before the forest and tried to look inside, but as far as he could see, he only saw trees. He understood that he needed to enter this place to see the true depths of the forest, but he couldn't for some reason.

"Do you want to sneak inside? I'll stay here. Just take a look and come out. If there's trouble, scream loudly, and I'll enter," Xu Mung told Valeria while keeping a low voice.

"Alright," Valeria nodded her head as she got off his shoulders and flew inside the forest.