More than a dozen Martial Artists were the first to charge out of the crowd. Looking at the Sky-Reaching Stairway extending down from Martial God Palace, their eyes were filled with urgency, afraid that if they were even one step slower, others would snatch away their opportunity.
"The Martial God opportunity is mine!"
A Martial Venerable shouted and flew to the front of the Sky-Reaching Stairway first, heavily stamping his foot onto the first step.
The others followed close behind, scrambling to land on the Sky-Reaching Stairway. All of them wanted to seize the initiative and enter the opened Martial God Palace as quickly as possible.
But the instant the Martial Venerable at the front stepped onto the first stair, the excitement on his face froze. He felt a shock blast straight into his mind, followed by pressure crashing down upon his body.
"Ah!"
The Martial Venerable screamed. His body lost control on the spot, and he was blasted away by the power of the stairway, tumbling back down below.
His body slammed into the ground, his face already pale. Supporting himself with both hands, he gasped repeatedly, lingering terror still in his eyes.
This sudden scene made the Martial Artists behind him, who had been preparing to climb the stairs, halt in their tracks. The urgency on their faces rapidly vanished, replaced by changing expressions.
"What happened?"
An ordinary Martial Venerable instinctively stopped before the Sky-Reaching Stairway. Looking at the figure who had just fallen, his outstretched foot remained suspended for a long while.
However, the dozen or so Martial Artists who had already rushed forward had no time to stop. One after another, they landed on the Sky-Reaching Stairway, preparing to withstand that power and continue upward.
The next moment, screams rang out in succession. Several more Martial