'drip'

...

'drip'

Is it the sound of water?

Ohh... this is a new one, last time when I died on earth there was only a brief blank before I saw light again, but this time the darkness is not fading and there is a even special sound effect.

Well it's definitely a new experience.

'........'

'........'

So is this it ?  this time am I not going to reincarnate?

As I wandered aimlessly in the dark with these disturbing thoughts, a faint light appeared in my view.

Since it was the only thing  that was different in  my vision, I started to move towards the tiny light.

 As I got  nearer to the tiny dot, it slowly started to expand into a circle.

Ohhh. is that a pond?

yup! a pond in a dark place.....

Now all that we are lacking is some creepy ghost  then we can have the perfect horror movie location.

ohh..if  I think about it, I might be the ghost that the pond was lacking.

Well since it is the only anomaly in this darkness, I threw away my fear and started to further move towards it.

when I reached the edge of the pond,  my curiosity got the better of me so I peered into it with some expectation.

"Two fishes and a jellyfish,  huh...and here I thought it to be something special." I muttered as my expectation dampened.

That's exactly what I saw in the pond.

A black koi and a white koi floating in circle around a violet coloured  jellyfish.

And I definitely saw a jellyfish in there and in a pond too. It was floating in the violet coloured water.

I don't why but I felt a special connection with this pond.

I instinctively  tried to grab on to the connection I felt and the-

BOOM

A flood a information started to flood me along with a slight headache.

By the time the headache disappeared, I knew about this pon- no small lake.

And I was  exited about this; no I wanted to yell in happiness.

"Hahaha.. Finally I achieved it, my life long dream; i achieved it." I started to yell in happiness.

This infinite dark space is my mind space and the three little things floating in it  are my martial spirits.

And martial spirit is the major  sign of someone entering the  legendary stage above the heaven stage.

To think that I would advance to this realm just moments before my death.

Am I lucky or what?

Since I now know that this is my mind space. The moment I thought of leaving the space, light started to enter my vision.

..........

GROOWWL

" l feel like I haven't eaten anything for an entire week" I muttered as I woke up.

"GUHHH cough cough...where did all this come from?" my entire body is covered with black dust and some of them is even  sticking on to me.

"And what's this? Did I become small?"

For some unknown reason my entire body has reduced in size, it's like I reverted back to my twelve years old form.

My old clothes were barely latching on to me.

As far I know there are no side effects when breaking in to the stage mentioned in the legends.

"..."

Well... it's better than being  an old man, so I can ignore it for now.

GROWWWWWL

ahh.. I should go out and fill my stomach for  now.

I took the key kept beside the bed and inserted it into the keyhole.

Now I should wait for the guards outside the door to insert the matching pair of key.

Speaking of which the room sure has gotten dusty, did I sleep for an entire month?

..................

A certain guard's pov:

"And that's my sixth win in a row."

"Argh not again"

Those two are still goofing off?

"Guys you should stop it there unless you want the head to kick you out from this post." I warned them.

"Est, don't be a joy killer, you should learn to relax, and enjoy life."

This is the reason I hate outsiders, never taking their job seriously and trying to goof of the moment eyes are of them.

"You should also know, this is a level 5 protection post, if anything happens here, you won't have your little useless head to enjoy life." I said to them.

"Tch..come on Est, Officially we may be here to guard the Alister family's ancestor while he is in meditation.

But you of all should know 'the ancestor has already passed away'.

It's been seventy years, and he was already at 140 years old at the time of his seclusion." one of them said.

"There is no way a heaven's stage practitioner can live that long." chided one of them.

Don't rub salt over my family's wound, you little shit.

I wanted to beat the shit of them but by morning those two will kicked out from this post so I will forgive them this one time.

Besides, they do have a point in there. The only reason we are guarding this region is because of the order from the ancestor before his seclusion.

"I don't care, do you jobs pro-"

"Click click tap"

The noise!.. where is it coming from.

"E-Est!" one of them called out to me.

"What is it?"

"Th- there are movements on the lock of the door."

"What the fuc-"

Huh?!... the lock is really moving.

this...what am I to do?  something like this has not happened for the last five year i was here.

Think Est.. think. ha! yes the key before that-

"One of you go and Inform the family head and the other one bring out the key." I immediately started to give out orders.

""Yes, sir""

This is- is the ancestor still alive? Unbelievable.

Then that means he must ha-

"Is it true? did the door really move?"

Wha-when, enemies?!!

While I was still thinking, two new presence appeared before me without my notice.

My hand which was just about to instinctively grab the sword near my hip stopped the moment my mind registered the face of  one of the Intruders.

Of them, One is the family head. He still looks young just like five years ago.

He sure is fast, he appeared minutes after the lock moved. Did the guard who went to call him meet the head near here somewhere?

Behind him stood a  70 year old man,  whom I have no recollection of seeing but one thing is for sure the pressure he is emitting is definitely of a peak earth realm practitioner.

"Answer me boy, did the lock move?" the old man asked.

Should I answer him? he is someone who came with family head..

"Answer him, Est" the head ordered.

"Ah yes..it did, I have just send someone to fetch the key" I blurted out.

"Here is the ke-, who are they Est? " the guard who went to get the key was surprised with the guests.

Speaking of which where is the one who went to call the head?

"The key" the earth realm expert demanded him.

"Huh?!"

"Just hand the key to the elder" I ordered him.

"Y-es Es- captain" he immediately saluted  and handed the key to the old man.

Well occasional respect is good even if it is from rude bastards like him.

The old man grabbed the key and started to move towards the lock.

"After a long time." muttered the old man.

"So who is that elder, Lord?" I quietly asked the head.

"He is my grand uncle" monologued the head.

Uncle?! Then Why have I never heard of someone of his status?

Besides the current strongest practitioner in our family is only at the initial stage of earth realm.

As I entered my own world again, the door started to slowly open.

'GROWWWL'

What?! Whose stomach is rumbling at a time like this?

As the door fully opened, a deep silence descended up on the region.

Gulp

As we were caught up in the mood of the moment.

A black haired, cute, little girl came out from the room.

Huh!!? A kid! I thought it was the family's ancestor who was supposed to be in there.

Her clothing which is all out of proportion is barely hanging on her body.

Expect for that, the strange thing about the girl is the presence of a violet colour in the crystal of her forehead. It's supposed to be colourless crystal, for a normal person.

Speaking of which, how did the little girl get inside the tightly locked room?

"Little girl  how did you get in there? if you answer it, big brother here will give you this sweet." the guard said as he extended a sweet from his pocket.

Good job man, you took the word out of my mouth.

Huh!!..

The moment I blinked the sweet instantly disappeared from his hands.

"Oh thanks for the sweet, I was just looking for something to eat." said a small voice.

This-

The sweet was already in the hands of the little child with her gnawing on it, unbelievable.

"And while at it I'm a male" sh- no he added.

"Ancestor Sual?" the old ma- no the family head's grand uncle asked in a trembling voice.

And what's that supposed to even mean? Did the old man start to loose his mind at this age.

There is no way that littl-

"hm? that would be me" the little boy replied nonchalantly.

'......'

you got to be kidding me!