Xianhai Shaoyu looked at Chu Feng with both heartache and shame.
The power that had healed Xianhai Shaoyu in an instant, when applied to Chu Feng's body, now required time.
This was an even clearer testament to the luminous elder's words — the difficulty of this trial was absolutely incomparable to the previous Celestial Herb.
Yet what should have been his burden to carry had been completed by Chu Feng in his stead.
Fortunately, Chu Feng did not take long to regain consciousness, and his weakened body was rapidly recovering.
"Brother Chu Feng, how is your body?" Xianhai Shaoyu asked with concern.
"I'm fine. Did I succeed?" Chu Feng asked.
Xianhai Shaoyu did not answer. Instead, he raised his head toward the luminous elder.
"Mm." The luminous elder gave a slight nod.
Seeing this, both Chu Feng and Xianhai Shaoyu let out a breath of relief.
"Brother Chu Feng, I owe you everything."
Xianhai Shaoyu gazed at Chu Feng with the deepest gratitude — it was utterly genuine, born from the heart, no longer merely a matter of friendship.
The damage to Little Yu'er's bloodline had been a thorn in his heart. Especially back then, when his clan had faced such a catastrophe, he had been powerless to do anything.
All he could do was watch his younger sister sacrifice herself to fight for their family.
That sense of helplessness — he never wanted to experience it a second time.
That was precisely why he had been so tense upon entering this place.
He had sensed that it was no simple place, but he also knew the matter of the bloodline was no trifling concern. Moreover, his sister's bloodline was so extraordinary — what kind of power would even be needed to restore it?
What he feared was not merely his own failure. What he truly feared was that even if he succeeded, this place might not grant him what he wished.
Fortunately, the outcome had been good.
It was just that it hadn't been achieved by him — and that was why his gratitude ran so deep.
Looking at Xianhai Shaoyu's expression of gratitude mixed with heaviness, Chu Feng said directly: "Regarding Yu'er's bloodline, this was something I should have done all along."
"Brother Shaoyu, you may not know the truth."
"The Fish Immortal that was lost from Yu'er's bloodline wasn't consumed by the Divine Clan's formation. It was in the Primordial Killing Sea — she fused it into my body to save me."
"Yu'er's Fish Immortal is currently inside my heart." Chu Feng pointed to his chest.
"What?"
Hearing this, Xianhai Shaoyu was completely taken aback, his jaw dropping.
He had not been certain how one of Little Yu'er's Fish Immortals had gone missing — losing it during the Divine Clan's formation had been his own guess.
Only now did he learn the truth.
But rather than any blame, he simply broke into a relieved smile.
"So that's how it was."
Xianhai Shaoyu smiled and patted Chu Feng on the shoulder, then turned to the luminous elder and spoke a sentence that filled Chu Feng with sheer panic.
"Elder, is it possible to cancel that wish?" Xianhai Shaoyu asked.
"What the— What are you saying? Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea how hard I worked to pass that trial?!"
Chu Feng hurriedly clapped a hand over Xianhai Shaoyu's mouth.
And the luminous elder gave his answer: "This matter can only be declined by Chu Feng."
"First, he was the one who passed the trial, so the wish is effectively his to make."
"More importantly, that Fish Immortal is indeed within his heart."
"I can separate it from him without causing harm, but I would need his consent."
Chu Feng immediately responded: "I consent."
Xianhai Shaoyu pulled free and let out a helpless sigh. "Sigh, I really am stupid. My sister is far cleverer than I am."
"I should have just let you owe her. That way, the Xianhai Fish Clan could have clung to your coattails. Knowing your personality, whenever you came across something good in this life, you'd definitely share it with my sister — and wouldn't I stand to benefit a little from that too?"
Xianhai Shaoyu sighed with a look of exaggerated regret.
Chu Feng rolled his eyes helplessly, because he knew Xianhai Shaoyu was joking.
It was just that he didn't find the joke particularly funny.
"Elder, is this matter very troublesome?"
"How long will it take?"
Chu Feng turned to the luminous elder.
He, too, knew this would be exceedingly difficult to accomplish, and until it was done, a measure of unease would linger.
"It is troublesome, but it won't take long."
As the elder spoke, he opened his left hand toward Chu Feng, and a beam of light pierced through Chu Feng's chest.
In that instant, Chu Feng's chest became transparent, revealing that within his heart there was indeed a small fish-shaped mark — the Fish Immortal.
And now, that Fish Immortal, which had taken the form of a mark, transformed back into a fish and crawled out from within Chu Feng's body, landing in the elder's palm.