"Chu Feng, you..." Seeing Chu Feng step forward, everyone was quite surprised.
"Let me try. There's still nearly half a shichen left — maybe I can open it." Chu Feng said with a smile.
"You can open it? I can't even open it, and you're saying you can? Chu Feng, that's some pretty big talk!" Tian Liang's jaw dropped, his lips curled with disdain.
"Listen — Chu Feng only said 'maybe,' not 'definitely.' You're the one who's been talking big! You made such confident guarantees before; I really thought you could open it, but in the end, you couldn't do it at all — and then you claimed no one could." Yan Ru shot back at Tian Liang with a displeased expression, clearly taking Chu Feng's side.
"Ru-er, I... I was indeed a bit overconfident before. I underestimated this Treasure Vine, but after trying it myself, I know now — it's not simple. This Treasure Vine truly can't be broken by anyone."
"Never mind me — I'm afraid even my Master couldn't do it. If even a Royal Robe Spirit World Master can't break it, and Chu Feng, who only knows the bare basics of barrier techniques, wants to try — isn't that just a joke?" While explaining, Tian Liang didn't miss the chance to humiliate Chu Feng.
He had long sensed that Yan Ru had a favorable impression of Chu Feng, but it was precisely that affection that made him resent Chu Feng — or more accurately, he was jealous.
"Brother Yan Lei, why not let him try? I'd also like to see just how overconfident this Greenwood Mountain disciple really is." Xian Kun spoke up as well. He had long been annoyed by Chu Feng, and with an opportunity to humiliate him, how could he let it pass?
"Brother Chu Feng, if you want to try, then go ahead." Yan Lei didn't refuse, but he held no expectations either. In his view, he was simply indulging Chu Feng — if even Tian Liang was helpless, how could he expect Chu Feng to unravel the Treasure Vine?
With Yan Lei's permission, Chu Feng stepped forward before the Treasure Vine under the watchful eyes of everyone.
All eyes were fixed on Chu Feng. But compared to Tian Liang's earlier attempt and Yan Xie's appearance before that, the crowd had absolutely no expectations. They all felt there was no chance he could succeed.
Hummm—
However, in that very moment, Chu Feng's mind stirred. As his robes billowed, a torrent of golden energy surged from within his body like a volcanic eruption.
"This is!!!"
Seeing the golden energy swirling around Chu Feng, everyone present — except for Yan Xie — was struck dumb with shock.
That was because the golden energy was not ordinary golden barrier power — it was Royal-level barrier power. The difference in quality was so stark that they could tell it apart just by looking, without even needing to sense it.
Chu Feng — this disciple of Greenwood Mountain — was actually a Royal Robe Spirit World Master.
"Brother Chu Feng... he's actually a Royal Robe Spirit World Master."
"Hidden depths — truly hidden depths!" The crowd praised him one after another. Only now did they realize just how much they had underestimated Chu Feng.
"How is this possible? At his age, he's already become a Royal Robe Spirit World Master? This is simply..." But if anyone was shocked, the most shocked of all was, without question, Tian Liang.
His Master was a Royal Robe Spirit World Master. Under his Master's guidance, he had dedicated himself to the study of barrier techniques for many years. He considered himself a genius in barrier arts, and thus was arrogant and condescending toward everyone. Even though his cultivation was the weakest among them, he looked down on most of the people present.
And the one he despised most was Chu Feng. In his eyes, Chu Feng was nothing but trash who relied on Greenwood Mountain as a crutch — without Greenwood Mountain, Chu Feng was nothing.
As for barrier techniques — what did Chu Feng have to compare? He could effortlessly leave Chu Feng in the dust.
But now, looking at this result, he was so stunned he could barely collect himself. His Master had cultivated for so many years before obtaining Royal-level barrier power and becoming an Insect-pattern Royal Robe Spirit World Master.
Yet Chu Feng, at such a young age, had already reached the same rank as his Master. This was a tremendous blow to Tian Liang — a man who considered himself a barrier genius but whose techniques were inferior to Chu Feng's, whose cultivation was weaker, and who was only a few years older.
Just thinking about all the mockery and humiliation he had directed at Chu Feng earlier, he now felt so ashamed he wanted to find a crack in the wall and crawl into it.
"Tian Liang, didn't you say before that you'd teach Chu Feng barrier techniques? That his barrier techniques were inferior to yours? Do you still think so now?" Yan Ru said to Tian Liang with a sweet smile. This girl really knew how to twist the knife — always bringing up sore spots.
"Heh heh heh..." What could Tian Liang say now? Apart from an awkward laugh, he couldn't say anything — not because he didn't dare, but because he was too embarrassed. He had no face left to speak.
"I truly never expected it — I underestimated Brother Chu Feng so greatly. A Royal Robe Spirit World Master... perhaps he really can unravel the Treasure Vine." At this, Yan Lei was overjoyed — a joyful surprise, to be sure.
In fact, even the incredibly powerful Yan Xie — whose gaze had been calm until now — could no longer maintain that composure.
As for the crowd's shifting emotions, Chu Feng had long anticipated them. So he paid them no mind and simply went about forming his barrier formation.