With a final pulse of light, the last of Qing Yun's power entered him.
The colossal Tree of Life in the grove dissolved into emerald motes, swirling around Yun Lintian before sinking into his skin. Inside his Divine Core, the original Tree stood triumphant—no longer a sapling, but a mighty pillar of creation itself.
Yun Lintian's eyes snapped open. Emerald light blazed from his pupils as the full authority of Life settled into his Divine Core. His hair streamed with vibrant green streaks, his entire body radiating primordial energy.
But he didn't celebrate.
Instead, his hands shot forward, grabbing at Qing Yun's fading form.
"No!"
The moment his fingers touched her translucent shoulders, the new power within him reacted. The Tree of Life in his Divine Core trembled, its branches extending through his meridians and bursting from his palms in rivers of emerald energy.
The power wrapped around Qing Yun like roots embracing a dying sapling.
