The Verdant Elder turned around, stepped outside, and glared at the cave entrance.
"If you are somehow hiding in the cave using some trick, I will bury you along with your petty tricks," he shouted.
The ground beneath him cracked as he gathered Spirit Essence into his claws.
He slammed his palm forward, and with a loud crack, roots surged out from the ground and shot into the mountain wall. Thick vines twisted and tore into the stone, digging deep before exploding outward.
The entire cave shook. Then, with a roar and a rumble, it collapsed. Huge boulders fell. Dust rose high into the sky.
The mountain cave was destroyed.
Just as the dust settled, the Verdant Elder suddenly stiffened.
His Spirit Essence had started moving again. And it was not by choice.
It surged through his meridians like water breaking through a dam. It rushed toward his Dantian, growing stronger and heavier by the second. It started to condense into gaseous form.
The Verdant Elder's expression darkened.
