"Yes!"
The gatekeeper immediately turned around and ran towards the front of the Tiandu Hall, just reaching the steps.
He looked down...
And he was rooted to the spot.
His eyes were wide, as if in disbelief, the scene before him stunned him into stillness.
"How... How is this possible?"
"Fifty... Fifty steps... just like that... so effortlessly?"
Indeed, Fang Yu had already ascended past the fifty steps.
Those so-called restrictions, seemed as if they had no effect at all, as if nothing was there. It was like they hadn’t been activated.
The gatekeeper swallowed hard, a shiver ran through his body, and he immediately turned around and ran back to the great hall.
Inside the great hall.
Everyone was waiting quietly.
This included Empress Ziwei, who also waited in silence.
"Report—"
A voice echoed throughout the entire great hall.
"Your Majesty Empress Ziwei, Mr. Fang... has already stepped over fifty levels of restrictions!"
"What!?"
There was an immediate uproar in the great hall.
Everyone showed a look of disbelief.
This...
How could it be possible?
All the subordinates and ministers in the great hall were shocked, even finding it hard to believe.
Only Ziwei remained calm, as if she had known all along that he could pass the fifty steps. The only thing that surprised her was the speed – just how much time had passed? It felt somewhat off.
"It must be a malfunction in the restriction!"
"Yes, it must have broken down, let’s go check!"
"Come on! Let’s take a look! It’s impossible to pass fifty levels of restriction in such a short time, I simply don’t believe it!"
Some of the ministers and subordinates walked out of the great hall, to the front of the steps.
Standing from above and looking down, one could see Fang Yu advancing slowly.
He stood with his hands behind his back, pace steady, his demeanor neither servile nor overbearing.
His speed, as if walking on flat ground, immediately drew gasps of admiration.
The truth spoke for itself.
Witnessing Fang Yu’s steady pace and ease.
Someone shouted: "Quickly check the restrictions! See if there’s a malfunction!"
"No need to say! Even a Circulation Heaven Position powerhouse couldn’t be this relaxed on the steps. Even for me, reaching the thirtieth step, I would be red-faced and breathless, as if walking through water, struggling to control."
"That makes sense. I didn’t expect that even an ancient restriction could malfunction."
"The restriction should be fine. I think, it simply didn’t activate!"
"Yes!"
The conversation had just finished.
When a guard ran over, speaking loudly: "Reporting to the lords, after a thorough inspection, the restriction is normal and active... The patterns on the Array Stele are also lit."
Hearing this, everyone quieted down.
Their faces shocked.
"Impossible! There must be something wrong with the restriction; otherwise, how could he be passing through it so effortlessly?"
Everyone refused to believe that there was no issue with the restriction.
At that moment—
A voice spoke up.
"Whether there’s an issue or not, won’t we know if someone just tries it?"
Indeed.
Whether there was a problem, one just needed to try it. Blind guessing here counted for nothing.
"You go..."
A seasoned elder pointed at a guard.
"Yes!"
The guard ran down the steps.
The marvel of these hundred levels of restriction lay in the fact that they could prevent enemies from ascending the mountain, but allowed unimpeded descent.
This meant that descending the steps faced no restrictions.
During the restriction activation phase, those descending should not recklessly turn around and walk towards the steps behind them, otherwise if their strength was not enough, they would be instantly flattened into a pulp. The advantage was that each step was wide enough, at least one to two meters wide, allowing for sufficient reaction time.
After a short while.
The guard had reached the outer boundary of the hundred levels of restriction.
Without much thought, he stepped onto the stairs.
First Level.
He felt nothing.
Second Level, he began to feel a slight wind resistance.
Third le... the guard suddenly felt as if something was assaulting him.
Fifth Level, Sixth Level...
The pressure suddenly doubled, and the resistance became immense.
The guard’s complexion grew uglier by the moment.
By the time he stepped onto the twentieth stair, he could no longer withstand the immense pressure.
With a plop, he knelt on the steps.
Bang——
He was sent flying backward, the guard was repelled, retreating outside the here restrictions.
Before the Tiandu Palace.
All was quiet.
Those who thought there was a fault with the hundred-step restriction stared in shock, their faces pale!
They didn’t know what to say anymore...
The fact proved that the restriction was not broken.
Immediately afterward——
They saw Fang Yu had already reached the eightieth stair.
"Inconceivable!"
"Beyond belief!"
"He’s on the eightieth stair and still as comfortable as if it were a flat ground, moving with ease! Quick, go and report to Empress Your Majesty!"
"Yes!"
For a moment.
In the hall, upon hearing this, Empress Ziwei finally showed a hint of surprise.
The entire palace was abuzz with discussion, all struck with amazement.
"Follow me and let’s go have a look!" Empress Ziwei ordered.
"Yes!"
...
Before long.
Empress Ziwei walked at the forefront, heading outside the palace.
She came all the way to the vicinity of the stairs.
Those ministers and subordinates who had arrived earlier bowed at the same time.
Ziwei did not pay them any heed and went straight to the front of the palace, looking down from above.
Before her eyes——
Fang Yu had already reached the ninetieth stair.
His pace had not slowed down, just like before, one step at a time.
He stood with his hands behind his back, strolling leisurely.
Ninety-one.
Ninety-two.
...
Ninety-seven.
Ninety-eight.
Ninety-nine.
One hundred!
Tap.
His footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
Everyone in front of the Tiandu Palace fell into dead silence.
They all gaped at Fang Yu before them.
Having crossed the hundred-step restriction, Fang Yu was now standing right in front of them.
The whole Tiandu Mountain, apart from the sound of the wind blowing, everything seemed as if it had come to a halt.
Everything was silent.
You could hear a pin drop.
After who knows how long.
Fang Yu was the first to break the silence, saying indifferently, "Is this how Tiandu Mountain always welcomes its guests?"
His words startled everyone from their reveries.
Empress Ziwei didn’t even have time to ponder how Fang Yu could comprehend the hundred-step restriction and walk over it with ease, when a smile appeared on her face, and she said, "Mr. Fang, truly a rare talent for the ages, these hundred steps of restriction before you seem as if they were nothing. It seems that in the future, your Cultivation will easily break through to the Supreme Heavenly Rank."
As these words came out.
The entire place fell into a deep quiet.
At this point, who would harbor any doubts towards Fang Yu.
"Is that so? Was there a restriction here just now? Oh, I see, the brother just now was rushing down and then all of a sudden got sent flying..."
Upon hearing this.
Everyone was even more astonished.
Who would have thought that Fang Yu not only easily crossed the hundred-step restriction but didn’t even feel it.
"Mr. Fang is truly a great talent... This hundred-step restriction is a Restriction Array left over from ancient times. It exists to protect the Tiandu Hall. Those without comprehension and strength cannot make a single step within these hundred steps."
"Mr. Fang has truly surprised us all!"
Everyone began to shower him with flattery.
However, Fang Yu was sneering inwardly, looking at these hypocritical faces with extreme disgust.
Empress Ziwei, with a smile, said, "Please!"