The suction dissipated, and as Chu Feng steadied his footing, he found himself standing alongside Xianhai Shaoyu on a desolate plain.
The plain stretched endlessly in all directions, its surface riddled with cracks and devoid of any sign of life. Yet above, the deep expanse of the starry sky was filled to the brim with twinkling stars, brimming with hope.
Desolation and hope—this didn't seem like a simple layout. It felt more like a metaphor for something.
But Chu Feng paid more attention to Xianhai Shaoyu.
"What's wrong, Brother Shaoyu? Nervous?"
"Why does something feel off about your mood?"
Chu Feng asked, because he could clearly hear the sound of Xianhai Shaoyu's heartbeat. It was true that the place was extremely quiet, but the rhythm of Shaoyu's heart was unmistakably abnormal.
"How could I be nervous? I'm just a little excited to be alone with my brother Chu Feng."
Xianhai Shaoyu flashed a grin, not only throwing his arm around Chu Feng's shoulder but also giving him an ambiguous wink.
If any other man had witnessed this scene, he would have broken out in goosebumps and wondered whether the fellow had ulterior motives or some... unconventional preferences.
But Chu Feng simply returned the smile. He knew Xianhai Shaoyu liked to crack weird jokes.
Still, something gnawed at the back of his mind. He felt that Xianhai Shaoyu wasn't quite himself.
Shaoyu loved his jokes, true, but he was nothing like Wang Qiang. Deep down, he was a composed and supremely confident person. Yet now, Chu Feng could sense his tension—his fear.
Chu Feng didn't know what he was afraid of, but he was clearly different from usual.
At that moment, a beam of white light descended from the void above. Looking closely, it was the luminous figure from before. Only now, his outline was much clearer—though his features remained indistinguishable, they could make out his white hair and the flowing white robe he wore.
Neither Chu Feng nor Xianhai Shaoyu could determine whether this luminous figure was the same one they had seen in the great hall earlier.
The figure radiated an aura of unfathomable depth—the bearing of a transcendent expert beyond the mortal world.
Whoosh— The luminous elder swept his wide sleeve, and a circle with a diameter of a million meters appeared around Chu Feng and Xianhai Shaoyu.
Then, with a lift of his arm, a stalk of Immortal Grass drifted down, floating toward Xianhai Shaoyu.
"Grasp the Immortal Grass and commune with it. Use your will to spread it across the land. If the grass covers more than the circle, your wish shall be granted."
Hearing this, Xianhai Shaoyu took the Immortal Grass and closed his eyes. After a brief moment of stillness, every muscle in his body tensed.
The next instant, countless stalks of Immortal Grass erupted from the ground beneath his feet, spreading rapidly outward.
"Xianhai Shaoyu's got it going on!" Eggy exclaimed in admiration.
Judging by the speed at which the grass was spreading, surpassing the circle the luminous elder had drawn would be child's play.
But before long, the grass's spread slowed, and Xianhai Shaoyu began to grit his teeth.
Filling the entire circle with Immortal Grass was far from easy.
Chu Feng extended his Mental Power, trying to envelop the grass to see if he could lend Shaoyu a hand.
But before his Mental Power even got close to the grass, the luminous elder's voice rang out: "You may help if you wish, but should you succeed, the wish will be granted upon you—and not upon him."
At those words, Chu Feng hesitated.
His offer to help came from goodwill, but he couldn't very well steal Xianhai Shaoyu's reward.
"It's fine, Brother Chu Feng. I can do it."
Xianhai Shaoyu said as much, but Chu Feng could see the pain etched on his face growing deeper.
Fortunately, in the end, he succeeded.
The very instant the Immortal Grass covered the circle's boundary, Xianhai Shaoyu collapsed in exhaustion.
Seeing this, Chu Feng rushed to support him. "Brother Shaoyu!"
Chu Feng's heart clenched. Xianhai Shaoyu's Mental Power was severely depleted, destabilizing his very soul. The Immortal Grass must have launched a devastating assault on his spiritual consciousness—a powerful one.
He was in mortal danger.
Worst of all, the injuries were so severe that even Chu Feng was powerless to help.
Yet even so, Xianhai Shaoyu managed to squeeze out a smile directed at Chu Feng, boasting: "See? Told you I could do it."
"A remarkable will. A fine seedling indeed."
The luminous elder pointed at Xianhai Shaoyu, and a gentle wave of power enveloped him. The once critically weakened Shaoyu recovered in an instant.
This made Chu Feng realize that the power here was extraordinary, and that the luminous elder likely wasn't merely a manifestation of the formation array.
"Thank you, Senior."
Now feeling perfectly fine, Xianhai Shaoyu hurriedly bowed to the luminous elder.
"No need for thanks. It was merely a trial. Since you passed, I wouldn't leave you in a wretched state."
"So now—do you wish to break through your cultivation right away, or do you have some other wish?" the luminous elder asked.
"Senior, I'd like to make a different wish," Xianhai Shaoyu said.
"What wish?" the luminous elder asked.
"I want to restore my sister's bloodline."
At those words, Chu Feng's expression shifted. He vaguely sensed something but held his questions, waiting for the luminous elder's response.
"Xiao Yuer, is that right?" the luminous elder asked.
"That's correct." Xianhai Shaoyu nodded.
The luminous elder said nothing more.
Though his features couldn't be seen, it was possible to sense that he had closed his eyes—most likely to examine Xiao Yuer's condition.
After a brief pause, the luminous elder spoke again: "Your sister's bloodline is not easy to restore."
"Tell you what—I'll make an exception and boost your cultivation by four ranks. Forget about the other wish."
"Senior, I have only this one wish. If you can grant it, I humbly ask for your help."