A few minutes before Aksai's use of the Blood Soul Lamp.
Under the thick dome of living roots, sealed from the outside world, the Verdant Elder lay still.
His massive body twitched now and then, dark green blood oozing from the stump where his front leg had once been. The wound sizzled softly in the air, burning slightly from the traces of foreign Qi left behind by Aksai's attacks.
But outside threats were no longer the problem. At least at this point.
The Verdant Elder had already tightened the dome to its limit, using layers of wood and Spirit essence to keep Aksai from interfering any further. The barrier surrounding him was now fully focused inward.
He could not afford to waste a shred of energy. The breakthrough to the 3rd Order was already dangerous on its own. Adding battle wounds and external interference only made it worse.
He had two choices.
