The forest was silent, and there was not a soul on the Ascension Stairs.
A cold wind blew, and Jiang Yuebai shivered, hugging herself and hobbling upward.
With each step, she felt as if a stone was being placed on her shoulder, weighing her down.
Gritting her teeth, Jiang Yuebai pushed through, rushing up ten steps when she suddenly saw a woman lying on the ground, barely breathing.
"Mother!"
Tears welled up in Jiang Yuebai's eyes as she crawled frantically to the woman's side.
The woman was nothing but skin and bones from hunger, lips cracked, as she reached up to touch Jiang Yuebai's face.
"Yue'er, mother is too tired, can't move anymore, and can't find anything for you to eat. Let's rest here, shall we? We won't go any further. After a good sleep, you'll surely find a good family to be born into again."
Jiang Yuebai shuddered all over, suddenly standing up and distancing herself from the woman.
"You are not my mother. My mother would never say such things."
Jiang Yuebai recalled when she was four, during the chaotic times of the Drought Demon, her hometown was in severe drought, and everyone fled. Her father died, her brother died too, and her mother didn't hold on in the end. Only her life was hard enough to crawl out from a pile of corpses.
"Yue'er, crawl, crawl out with all your might. Even if you're the only one left, you must live on for mother's sake, or mother won't rest in peace even as a ghost!"
Jiang Yuebai held back her tears, biting her lip, as she watched the woman before her disappear with a smile, turning into a gentle breeze wrapping around her, making her body feel light.
"Mother, Yue'er misses you so much."
Jiang Yuebai knew it was fake, but her heart still ached. She wiped away her tears, taking advantage of the breeze to help, and climbed desperately upward.
Twentieth step!
When the breeze dissipated, a heavy pressure brought her down to her knees on the stone steps. She saw some little beggars who used to fight her for food, their faces fierce, carrying sticks.
"You've got some nerve, managing to beg for steamed buns to eat. Hand it over, or we'll beat you to death today."
Jiang Yuebai trembled all over, fear gripping her heart, but she clenched her fist and shouted, "I'm not afraid of you!"
With that, fueled by a fierce determination, she crawled upward against the little beggars' sticks.
Enduring excruciating pain, her head drenched in cold sweat, a stick hit her leg, bringing her down to her knees, but she continued to crawl using her hands and feet.
Thirtieth step!
The little beggars behind her vanished without a trace, a cool breeze swept over her body, erasing her pain.
Jiang Yuebai had no time to rejoice when a slap struck her face.
Slap!
"You're just a maid beside a lady, and you dare to secretly practice writing? Since that female teacher praised you for being keen and eager to learn, you can go to the brothel and learn well there! Take her away!"
A vicious fat nanny blocked the way, and suddenly appeared servants dragged her down the steps.
"What's wrong with me practicing writing? Let me go, I refuse!"
Jiang Yuebai shouted in anger, but the more she struggled, the further she was dragged away.
After being sold to the Lin Mansion, she became a companion maid for Lin Suwan. Lin Suwan was unwilling to study, but Jiang Yuebai had to remember the homework left by the teacher. If she couldn't remember, she'd be scolded. But how could she remember anything?
She could only listen diligently during Lin Suwan's napping time, using a stick to write characters on the ground whenever she had a spare moment. She wouldn't dare touch Lin Suwan's paper and pen.
After being discovered by Mr. Shen, he taught her to read and even changed her name to Jiang Yuebai. Mr. Shen praised her, and another maid heard, reporting it to Lin Suwan, which led to her being sold directly.
The Housekeeper, eager to earn a few extra coins, took it upon herself to sell her to a brothel. She nearly didn't escape.
Resorting to old tactics, Jiang Yuebai bit down hard on the servant's arm and desperately crawled upward, knocking the Fat Nanny down in front of her.
"I did nothing wrong! I want to learn to write, and I want to learn more powerful things in the future. I'm not afraid of you!"
The illusion vanished again, this time leaving only a bone-chilling wind.
"I can't stop, mother said, as long as there is strength, I must crawl with all my might."
Clenching her teeth, Jiang Yuebai continued upward against the increasingly heavy pressure, telling herself not to be afraid, no matter what she saw.
This path of Ascension was pointed out to her by an Immortal.
That day, after escaping from the brothel and running into the deep mountains, almost getting caught again, she saw the most beautiful light of her life.
Like moonlight descending from the sky, those bad people were instantly knocked away.
She looked up to see the moon rising over high mountains and amid a vast sea of clouds.
The Green-Clothed Female Immortal sat upon a sword, her expression lazy, her robe fluttering, a wine jug in hand, free and unrestrained.
"Child, knowing you can't outrun them, why do you still run?"
Jiang Yuebai's pupils trembled, and after a moment of having her mouth agape, she found her voice.
"What if I did... outrun them?"
"Such a fool."
The Female Immortal tilted her head back to drink, and Jiang Yuebai knelt down with a thud, bowing her head with great effort.
"Immortal, please accept me; I want to learn immortal law."
The female immortal wiped the wine at the corner of her mouth with her sleeve and lazily said, "Can't accept you, can't accept you, I'm about to... hmm... ascend soon. Today, my head was muddled from drinking, disrupting your destiny. Since that's the case, let's disrupt it completely. I'll bestow upon you a supreme immortal fate; this useless thing I can't use anymore, so it's yours."
As soon as she finished speaking, the female immortal suddenly appeared in front of Jiang Yuebai, the hem of her light gauze skirt brushed across her cheek as she placed a hand on the top of her head.
The immortal strokes my head, binding my hair to receive longevity.
A flash of golden light passed by, Jiang Yuebai opened her eyes in astonishment, feeling no difference.
"Head east, cross over the Ninefold Mountain Range, and ascend Qingyun Peak; there you will find the Immortal Sect."
Jiang Yuebai looked apprehensive; the Ninefold Mountain Range was fraught with dangers. How could she, a tiny person, manage to cross it?
"Don't worry, my guidance ensures you will reach there. Fear not the threats from wolves, tigers, and hunger; only see how long you can persevere."
The female immortal flew away on her sword, disappearing amidst the vast sea of clouds, leaving behind a drunken farewell.
"There is a path between mortal and immortal, all relying on a pair of feet to soar the heavens, to roam with abandon through rivers and lakes. Eastern Danqiu, Western Taihua, morning travels to North Sea, evening to Cangwu... Remember, the immortal path must be contended for!"
The immortal path stretches endlessly, with no end in sight.
Jiang Yuebai buried her head as she crawled forward, a hint of a golden character flashed across her brow.
Strive!
Strive for a breath, strive for a path.
Clang—
The bell ringing reverberated, solemn and majestic.
The last rays of light in the horizon disappeared, freezing Jiang Yuebai in place. Gradually, other figures appeared around her.
She didn't know what step she was on; ahead were long stairs, with seven or eight people spread across different sections.
The farthest she could see was a girl with a somber demeanor; behind her was a fair boy who had previously called her an idiot.
"To be able to climb so high, they must be exceptionally skilled."
Jiang Yuebai couldn't help but feel envious, but she quickly gasped and looked back to see how many people were less qualified than even her.
Going down the stairs, there were more and more people.
Among those people, she saw Lin Suwan.
Their eyes met, Jiang Yuebai lifted her chin, and Lin Suwan's eyes instantly reddened, she crouched down and began to sob.
She had exhausted herself reaching the sixty-sixth step to entry level; how could she be surpassed by a lowly, filthy girl?
Others were also shocked, envious, and jealous as they watched Jiang Yuebai, making her the center of attention.
At this moment, she was standing on the eighty-first step.
Hong Tao stood on his flying sword, overlooking the entire stairway. When testing spirit roots and recording backgrounds, he had anticipated the level of this group of children.
Seeing Lu Nanzhi, Shen Huaxi, and Xie Jingshan reach the ninety-ninth step, he wasn't surprised at all; the ones following were mostly within his expectation, until his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Jiang Yuebai standing upright on the eighty-first step.
Heavenly Interence Sect's ancient dictum, cross the Ninefold Mountain Range, ascend the Ascension Stairs. She reached the Ascension Stairs without a token, which meant she indeed crossed the Ninefold Mountain Range with no ambiguity.
At this moment, all the children around her were of Three Spiritual Roots and Dual Spirit Roots; she stood there with Five Spirit Roots, casting a shadow over everything around her, overshadowing all the prodigies.
Hong Tao couldn't help but silently sigh; indeed, a child who could cross the Ninefold Mountain by ancient dictum has a resolute heart and unyielding will unmatched by ordinary people.
Yet, her aptitude didn't match such perseverance and mindset.
"What a pity..."
After recording the rankings, Hong Tao waved his hand, and all the children instantly appeared on a huge square carved from white jade.
Majestic peaks stood straight, waterfalls cascaded, cloud mist lingered with grandeur.
Nine giant cauldrons were arrayed on both sides, emitting wisps of smoke, its scent light and lingering, invigorating the spirit.
Hong Tao led the sect disciples standing in front, solemn-faced: "Congratulations to all of you for passing the Wenxing Road test, but the sect has its rules. Today, Heavenly Interence Sect will only accept three hundred and sixty-five children at entry level, a number deduced by the Supreme Elder, with no exceptions, so..."
As he finished speaking, Lin Suwan nervously gripped her sleeves, Hong Tao's gaze fell on Jiang Yuebai.
Jiang Yuebai bit her lip, fearlessly meeting his gaze.
Hong Tao raised his hand; Lin Suwan screamed and covered her ears as she squatted down. A gust of wind blew past Jiang Yuebai's ear.
With a cry of surprise, the boy beside Jiang Yuebai was blown away, disappearing behind the square, unknown to where.
He was last at Wenxing Road, with Four Spiritual Roots aptitude, and without a single chance to plead or compete, he was expelled from the Immortal Sect.
He did nothing wrong, only not enough.
Jiang Yuebai clutched her lips, her tiny fists slowly clenching tighter, gradually understanding the cruel reality of the immortal path contention.
"The Central Plains Three Continents and Nine Domains have twenty-five major sects, among which Guiyuan Sword Sect, Vajra Platform, and our Heavenly Interence Sect hold the highest rank. You are fortunate to enter Heavenly Interence Sect today, and I hope you diligently cultivate in the future, not tarnishing the prestige of Heavenly Interence Sect."
"Next, according to your rankings, tokens, cultivation resources, and accommodations will be distributed. Wenxing Road's first place, Lu Nanzhi, enters Inner Sect..."