"Xian Kun, are you serious about this?" Yan Lei asked, a hint of delight flickering in his eyes.
"Absolutely."
"However... there's a condition. The time I give you to open this Treasure-Binding Vine is limited, and how long that time lasts depends on you," Xian Kun said.
"I understand. You're saying that if I show you the Forbidden Earth Fire Sea Technique, however long I let you study it is how long you'll keep this Treasure-Binding Vine open—right?" Yan Lei asked.
"Smart. That's exactly what I mean," Xian Kun replied with a smile and a nod.
"Good, then let's do this. Everyone gathering here today is fate—I won't hold anything back. I'll bring out the Forbidden Earth Fire Sea Technique for all of you to see."
"If any of you have the ability, feel free to learn as much as you can. And if anyone actually succeeds in cultivating it, I, Yan Lei, won't object—I'll only have my deepest respect."
"Even if you use it in the future, my Yan Clan will never give you trouble over it," Yan Lei declared loudly.
The moment he said this, everyone was overjoyed. This had originally been a deal between Yan Lei and Xian Kun—none of them expected to be able to participate, and for free at that. It was truly beyond their wildest expectations.
"Generous! Since Brother Yan Lei puts it that way, then I'll be generous too. Not only can you, Brother Yan Lei, attempt to break this Treasure-Binding Vine, but anyone of our generation you can call upon may help as well," Xian Kun said.
"Truly?" Yan Lei asked.
"When I, Xian Kun, speak, I always keep my word," Xian Kun replied.
"Good. I'll go retrieve the Forbidden Earth Fire Sea Technique right now. Everyone, wait a moment—I'll be right back." With those words, Yan Lei departed.
Sure enough, before long he returned, holding a special scroll that shimmered with flowing light—clearly extraordinary at a glance.
Seeing the scroll, Yan Ru's face changed abruptly. She quickly transmitted her voice in secret: "Brother, you're really going to let him see it? This is our Yan Clan's secret martial art—it's not supposed to be shared!"
"Silly sister, I already asked Father for permission, and he agreed."
"Besides, the Forbidden Earth Fire Sea Technique—you and I have both practiced it. It's one of the most difficult Earth-Forbidden martial arts to master."
"And its hardest part is that it doesn't spell out the cultivation method in detail. Instead, you have to comprehend it yourself, which takes an enormous amount of time. When I cultivated the Forbidden Earth Fire Sea Technique, I spent a full month in contemplation before I finally mastered the method."
"I'm only letting them see it for a brief moment. Forget cultivating it—they won't even be able to fully comprehend the contents. So what's the harm?" Yan Lei said.
"Brother, that may be so, but just look at Xian Kun's Treasure-Binding Vine—it's clearly not going to be easy to open. Otherwise, Xian Kun would have opened it himself long ago."
"That man is cunning. Even if you show him the technique, he probably still won't be able to open this Treasure-Binding Vine," Yan Ru said.
"Silly sister, we can't open it—but don't forget that Brother Tian Liang is here. Is there anything in this world that a Spirit World Master can't unlock? And Brother Tian Liang is no ordinary Spirit World Master—he's a Spirit World Master on the verge of becoming a Royal-Robed Spirit World Master!"
"With his help, there's at least a fifty percent chance of opening this Treasure-Binding Vine. And even if he fails, Xian Kun still won't have learned the Forbidden Earth Fire Sea Technique—so we absolutely won't lose out," Yan Lei said.
"Alright then." Only after hearing Yan Lei's words did Yan Ru finally nod. What he said truly made perfect sense—this was a deal where they could only win and never lose. Why not go for it?
"You two siblings—finished discussing?" Xian Kun wasn't stupid. He had guessed that Yan Lei and Yan Ru were secretly communicating with each other, working something out.
"We have. Starting now, the timer begins—everyone, feel free to watch to your heart's content!" As Yan Lei spoke, he unrolled the scroll in his hands. In an instant, a beam of red light shot into the sky, then transformed into a sphere of light that descended from above, enveloping everyone.
At that moment, every person's eyes lit up. Their gazes turned solemn as they focused all their concentration, studying and comprehending with the utmost seriousness.