The Heart-Tree shuddered violently as Lin Tian's team pushed through the collapsing canopy. Branches snapped around them, leaves falling like black snow, the entire forest groaning in pain.
Lin Tian spotted it first — a massive hollow flower, its petals wide enough to shelter all of them, its interior pulsing with faint golden light. The corruption hadn't reached it yet.
"In there," he said, pointing. "Now."
They didn't question him. They couldn't afford to.
The group scrambled through the opening as the flower's petals closed behind them, sealing the entrance with a soft, organic click. The sounds of battle faded, muffled by layers of living wood and nectar-thick walls.
Silence.
For the first time in hours, there was silence.
Su Lan collapsed against the inner wall, her flames dimming to embers. Xueya's frost receded, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Yue Chan's silk unraveled from her arms, falling in loose coils around her feet.
