"Lan-gongzi may see for himself." Once again Shen Yuan offers his wrist. His golden core is gone; not as if it was removed, but as if it was never there. The spiritual power that sustained Shen Qingqiu's immortality did not make the transition with him, when he was reborn in the sea.

"It's not so bad as it seems," he says with false cheer once Lan Xichen has had a look, the disturbed expression growing even deeper on his face. "My Omen is also my bonded spirit sword; she seems sure this body can grow its own core in time. And it's not as if this one lost all of his spiritual powers, just...well, most of them." He coughs into his fist.