In the middle of the night at Xingzi Lake, a rare sight of a spirit fish leaping into the sky occurred.

It may be because the water of Xingzi Lake has been reflecting the starry sky for a long time, the scales of these endemic spirit fish seem to be inlaid with stars, full of starlight. As they float, they look like meteors streaking across the starry sky.

The scenery is stunning.

At this time of night, Xingzi Town and Xingzi Lake were completely silent.

This scene did not attract many people's attention.

On the ancient Xinghe Road, there were two slender figures, one big and one small, walking slowly.

These flying fish with starlight on their bodies flew over their heads one after another and leaped into the water on the other side.

As they flew joyfully, they did not splash many drops of water, but instead filled the air with a hazy mist around the two women on the ancient road.

The scene was like a dream.

Especially among the two girls, the tallest one is a stunning girl in a red dress and barefoot, which adds to her beauty.

However, the other shortest girl was thin, short and weak. She wore green clothes that were a little faded from washing. Her hair was yellowish. She was a real yellow-haired maid. She was malnourished and missing two small teeth.

Xiaoyu, who had made the boldest decision in his life so far, had a look of nervousness and curiosity on his face. He was looking around at the strange sight of the spirit fish flying over his head, holding Zhao Qianer's pink handkerchief tightly in one hand and holding the hem of her skirt with the other.

She was a little afraid of falling on this floating ancient galaxy road.

Luo Xiu, carrying a burden with her, set off again on her journey.

She raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at the strange scenery around her. "Xiao Yu, you have been on the lake for so many years, haven't you seen these?"

The stunning girl spoke in a casual tone, mainly wanting to distract the little girl next to her so that she would not be so scared.

Xiaoyu shook his head and nodded again, "Not during the day. As for late at night, when I occasionally wake up at night, I don't have any impression. This ancient Xinghe Road is used by distinguished guests, so it may be a little special. Well, it may also be that the fish are reluctant to let Xiaoyu leave?"

As she spoke she was not so scared anymore, and smiled brightly, but she accidentally revealed her pink gums where her teeth were missing.

Luo Xiu nodded gently and said jokingly, "Don't you want to eat them? These spiritual fish can ward off evil and bring good luck. They must know that you have been thinking about eating them for so long. They are not reluctant to send you away, but are celebrating happily. Finally, a little girl who was greedy for their bodies has left."

Xiaoyu smiled and shrugged his thin shoulders, "Oh, is that so? I, I have only thought about it for so many years, but I have never really eaten them."

She quietly put away the pink handkerchief filled with delicious dried fish.

Luo Xiu retracted her gaze and nodded, "How about I catch one for you to try before I leave?"

"Really?" Xiaoyu raised his head, his eyes sparkling, and swallowed.

Luo Xiu looked at the stars above her head to determine the direction, and nodded with a smile, "Well, do you want it?"

Xiaoyu hesitated to speak, and finally said: "Forget it, Xiaoyu has already eaten the dried fish given by the nobleman, and will not eat them. Besides, Xingzi Lake has a rule that these are fish raised by others, and we cannot eat them."

"We'll leave right away. We're just taking a spirit fish. Besides, the lake is full of spirit fish, and they're dying and reproducing very quickly. How could anyone count them carefully?"

Xiaoyu thought about it and shook his head.

Luo Xiu nodded slightly and said no more.

It was just a small test about the character of this little maidservant with missing buck teeth.

Although they met by chance and felt sympathy for each other, they had only known each other for a short time and could not fully understand each other.

However, she is indeed an interesting little girl... Luo Xiu smiled.

At this moment, everything she did was fully understood. The world is so big, and she will follow her heart's wishes.

Xiaoyu couldn't help but take out some dried fish to eat. She squinted her eyes and tilted her head happily. She pulled the sleeve of Luo Xiu'er, who seemed to be distracted, and said, "Sister Xiu'er, do you want to eat?"

Luo Xiu came back to her senses, took the dried fish casually, opened her lips and took a bite.

She, who had broken through the bottleneck of the Fuyao realm during a night run not long ago, looked left and right at the starlight on the lake, the gradually rising mist and the flying spirit fish.

"This Xingzi Lake is indeed a suitable place for cultivation. The spiritual energy is quite rich. No wonder our ancestors left the remains of an ancient road here. Now it has been enclosed by the immortals of Nanxing County to raise spiritual fish."

After he finished speaking, Luo Xiu thought of something else and after a little thought, he made a decision.

She looked at Xiaoyu and said calmly:

"According to the agreement we made before, I will take you off the ship and protect your safety. You will follow me all the way, sharing the joys and sorrows, until one day you want to do something you find interesting and you can leave on your own initiative.

“Well, the noble person you want to repay your kindness to should be an outstanding female cultivator. If you want to grow up to the point where you dare to meet her, you have to try to practice.

"I will now teach you the "Ant Ascending to Heaven Art". Although it is not a rare technique, it is the foundation for countless cultivators on the mountain. I will not urge you to practice along the way. This is your own business, so you must consciously work hard to practice and must not be lazy and slack off."

After a pause, Luo Xiu lowered her eyes and said seriously, "Well, this will also be the case for some things in the future. Sister Xiu'er, I will only say it once."

Xiaoyu nodded vigorously, "Although I am stupid, I have a good memory, I will definitely remember it."

As she was speaking, she sniffed and lowered her head: "Thank you, Sister Xiu'er, Xiaoyu is already extremely happy and content."

Luo Xiu Muren smiled and patted the little girl's head. "Don't cry. Listen carefully. If you have any questions about "Ants' Ascension to Heaven", you can ask me."

The little girl wiped her nose and nodded slowly.

Later on the ancient Galaxy Road, a stunning girl in red clothes and barefoot softly chanted a mantra of mental skills that was popular in the Xuanhuang Realm, while another yellow-haired girl with missing buck teeth listened attentively with her little face.

Xiaoyu had a very good memory. Luo Xiu only read "The Ant's Ascent to Heaven" twice, and the little girl nodded and said she remembered it, and then asked a few simple and childish questions.

Luo Xiu gave some instructions in a relaxed manner.

She glanced at the little maid with missing buck teeth who was thinking quietly and obediently.

Come to think of it, if a little girl with such a tragic life story wasn't smart, sensitive, and had a good memory, it would be difficult for her to survive in a place like Zuixianlou. If she stayed there for too long, she would become a little "human spirit".

"You should practice first and keep your doubts about cultivation in mind. We are going to set off now. When I have some free time in a few days, I will answer your questions one by one."

Luo Xiu gave Xiaoyu an instruction, and the latter nodded obediently.

The two then concentrated on their journey.

…

Not long.

Xiaoyu and Luo Xiu walked to the end of the Ancient Galaxy Road and landed on the shore next to the stone tablet that recorded the ancient star map.

What is the reaction of someone who has never been off a boat when he first steps onto land?

Luo Xiu saw it with her own eyes tonight.

The little fish, who was used to the swaying of the boat deck, was seen stepping on the thick and stable ground with its two short legs. Every few steps, its body would sway and temporarily lose its balance.

A bit like a drunk person.

Xiaoyu held up her silk sleeves which slightly raised the corners of her lips, and looked down with curiosity at her two feet stepping on the thick bluestone slabs.

The touch, the sound, the thickness and even the cool temperature.

All of this was the same, and the little girl had never experienced this before. Xiaoyu's face flushed, and her breathing was slightly short. She grabbed Luo Xiu's hand, bravely tried to jump a little, and said in surprise:

"Sister Xiu'er, this, this..."

Luo Xiu suddenly pulled her hand away, strode forward, and said with a clear laugh, "Okay, now you walk on your own."

Xiaoyu stared at her back with wide eyes, hesitating for a moment with a mixture of annoyance and joy.

The little girl spread out her palms, looked down at her palms, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then suddenly gritted her teeth and took a step forward.

The little maid with missing buck teeth who was meeting Dadi for the first time stumbled after the fiery red back of the stunning girl in front of her who couldn't help laughing.

About three quarters of an hour later.

Xiaoyu, who gradually got used to the land and rarely fell anymore, followed Luo Xiu and finally arrived at the top of the mountain in front of Xingzi Town.

This is also the mountain that Xiaoyu has been extremely curious about for many years.

Standing in the rest pavilion on the top of the mountain, she stared blankly at the endless mountains behind the big mountain.

"Sister Xiu'er, there really is a mountain behind this. Look at the one in front. There is actually a mountain higher than this one."

"Yeah." Luo Xiu was standing on a tree outside the rest pavilion, squinting her eyes and looking into the distance. The night wind blew her ponytail all over the place.

"Actually, this is nothing. The Jiyue Mountain, the highest mountain above the ground, is truly majestic and towering. It is full of Nine Heavens Cold Palace flowers... In addition, there must be many, many more mountains out there that are higher than Jiyue Mountain. I will take you to see them later. You must practice hard and don't get lost."

"Yeah!" Xiaoyu nodded vigorously, her little face full of joy.

At this time, the moonlight on the top of the mountain was very bright. She spread out her palms, looked down at her palms, closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the whistling mountain breeze.

Luo Xiu on the tree felt that the mountain wind at night was particularly strong. She withdrew her gaze, bent her long legs slightly, and prepared to jump down and take the little fish away.

"Sister Xiu'er." A little girl with missing teeth suddenly called out.

"What is it?"

"Hmm, is there only one chapter of "Ants' Ascension to Heaven"? Are there any more powerful ones later?"

"Of course there is. Ascending to Heaven is the foundation of the Great Dao. You should practice it steadily first. After you can run the small Zhoutian, I will tell you about the 'scenery' behind and give you some encouragement. After you run the big Zhoutian and successfully ascend to Fuyao, I will teach you the more powerful skills behind. So don't be too ambitious now and don't be unable to calm down. These are the mistakes that newcomers often make."

"oh oh."

The air was quiet for a while.

"Sister Xiu'er." The little girl with missing teeth couldn't help but said timidly again.

"Hmm? Anything else?"

"Do you have time now?"

"We are on a night trip now, so we have plenty of time."

"Then...then why don't you tell Xiaoyu about the 'big scenery' after the practice."

"Xiao Yu! When practicing, be careful not to..."

"I seem to have reached my full potential."

“……???”

A stunningly beautiful girl in a barefoot red dress fell from a tree.

The little girl with missing teeth rushed forward, "Sister Xiu'er, are you okay? Wuwuwu, Xiaoyu will not ask again and will not bother you anymore."

"...I'm fine." Luo Xiu, who had fallen, quickly steadied himself, waved his hands, and then stared at her. After digesting the thought for a while, he spoke in a concentrated voice:

"You said... you have completed the Great Zhoutian?"

The little girl with missing buck teeth spread out her two palms, looked down at her palms, closed her eyes again and took a deep breath of the "strange wind".

Then, she looked at Luo Xiu, who had an extremely serious expression, and nodded timidly, "Yes. According to what you taught me before, it seems that all the eight extraordinary meridians are open. After the strange wind entered the little fish's body, it swam back and forth in a circle just like the glowing spirit fish in Xingzi Lake... It should... It should be the Great Circulation of Qi."

The stunning girl with a high ponytail stared at Xiaoyu, while holding her wrist silently, pursing her lips and saying nothing.

...Really...I have really opened up the Great Circulation and entered the Fuyao realm!

It’s only been a short time... Luo Xiu took a deep breath and looked around at the silent and empty mountaintop.

She unconsciously lowered her voice and said to the young girl who had only been on a boat and was stepping on land for the first time:

"You, you performed the Ascension Technique several times."

"Well, four and a half times."

"Four times... and a half? Where does the word half come from?"

"Halfway through the fifth repetition of the Heart Sutra, I felt as if the strange winds were familiar with me and began to learn how to enter my body. Xiaoyu only needed to breathe, so it was four and a half repetitions."

Luo Xiu had nothing to say. She unconsciously took a step back and stared at the confused Xiaoyu.

In less than four quarters of an hour, after reading four and a half times of "The Secret of Ant's Ascension to Heaven", a humble little girl who had never been exposed to spiritual practice before had already ascended to heaven like an ant, crossed the realm of ascension to heaven, and entered the realm of Fuyao.

So how long will it take her to enter the Haoran realm... Luo Xiu didn't dare to think about it.

She looked at Xiaoyu quietly. The little girl with missing buck teeth was biting her lip as if she had made a mistake and looked into her eyes timidly.

"Gurgle gurgle~" The little girl seemed to be hungry again, and her stomach protested.

She lowered her head in embarrassment, "Sister Xiu'er, can I...can I eat dried fish?"

Luo Xiu nodded slowly.

The little girl with missing buck teeth, who had encountered many strange things tonight, stuck out her tongue, carefully took out the pink handkerchief, and happily ate the dried fish.

At this moment, if a certain poisonous sword spirit who was sleeping was present, and saw this little girl who had reached Fuyao Realm after 'four and a half times', he would nod with satisfaction, and after praising her with "not bad, not bad", he would add a few familiar words to Zhao Rong, such as "very good, one-fourth of what I had in my youth", "Hey, ten thousand times stronger than someone among us, I won't tell you who it is", "I just said that there is nothing much to say about the Ascension Realm, just believe in yourself, just try a few times, those who understand will understand" blah blah...

A certain young Confucian scholar heard this and smiled as if he wanted to hit someone.

It’s a pity that the scene of Xiaoyu breaking through in less than four quarters of an hour seemed to be seen by only two “outsiders”.

Luo Xiu, one of the two "outsiders", was quiet for a while, then her expression restrained and she calmed down.

Xiaoyu, who was eating dried fish, suddenly said, "Sister Xiu'er, I... am I too fast? Like a monster..." The companions on the boat sometimes looked at her in the same way.

Luo Xiu looked calm and shook her head.

“Xiao Yu, you completed the Great Circulation in four and a half times and entered the Fuyao Realm. It is fast, but it is nothing too surprising. There are many people in this world who are faster than you.” Well, it exists in legends, and 'ascending to heaven in four and a half times' also surpasses most of the legendary human geniuses.

Luo Xiu added silently in her heart, and then she chuckled and said:

"Monster? What are you imagining, silly girl? You are just a very good cultivator, that's all. Yes, you are better than Sister Xiu'er, but if you want to successfully reach the top of the avenue and stand in front of the noble person you want to repay, you still have to work very hard and go through a lot of hardships."

Luo Xiu paused, touched the head of Xiaoyu whose eyes were shining, and suddenly smiled:

"Let's go! There's a long road ahead. I'll give you a little reward and tell you about the 'scenery' ahead. Don't be proud."

“Yeah!”

The little maid with missing teeth jumped up, looking very energetic.

The two men went down the mountain, their figures gradually blurred, and only fragments of words could be heard in the darkness.

"Sister Xiu'er, am I talking with a lisp? Missing teeth makes me look ugly."

"No, I think it's fine. Everyone loses teeth when they are young."

"Sister Xiu'er too?"

"Yeah. I lost my teeth once, too."

“How many at a time?”

"One... one, what's wrong?"

"I see that my companions are the same as you. At most, they would lose one tooth at a time. But I lost two at once! Two!" The little girl pointed her finger and looked a little dejected.

“…Maybe, you are better.”

"Well, it's okay, Sister Xiu'er, I've already thrown those two teeth onto the roof. According to our 'rules of the underworld', the teeth will grow out soon."

"...Um, where did you lose it?"

"The roof. My friends told me that the upper teeth should be thrown on the roof and the lower teeth should be thrown under the bed. The higher one is, the better. The lower one is, the better. They grow faster!"

"…Shouldn't the upper teeth be thrown under the bed, the lower the better, so they grow faster downwards?"

“……!!!”

A little girl who was deceived and might never grow buck teeth suddenly wanted to go home to find her teeth.

…

The moonlight on the top of the mountain was exceptionally bright and the mountain wind was exceptionally howling. But after a little girl with missing buck teeth left, the moonlight became as dull as the howling mountain wind.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard beside the silent rest pavilion.

A second "outsider" appeared.

A man holding a sword and dressed in conspicuous green stood on the steps of the pavilion, holding a wine jug in one hand and touching his chin with the other, looking at the backs of the two women leaving below.

"Tsk tsk, it's not a small fish at all, it's more like a big fish, she raised it in the lake a long time ago..."