"We've been wrong all along." A Mu opened his eyes, his tone filled with remorse. "We thought activating the Child Crystal Core was about protection, but we didn't consider balance." Loran pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke, "So now, we need to 'even out' the Child Crystal Core's energy to the Backlash Layer, so it stops attacking the seal?"
The elder nodded. "But someone needs to approach the dome and place the Child Crystal Core fragment on the sealed 'adjustment point'—the energy there is strongest, and also the most dangerous." A Mu immediately raised his hand. "I'll go! My sword can sense the crystal core energy and find the adjustment point." A Ya and A Shi also wanted to go, but the elder stopped them. "At most two people; more people will make the energy more chaotic." The Icefield Wolf suddenly nuzzled A Mu's hand, as if wanting to go together.
Finally, A Mu and A Shuang, carrying the fragments of the Child Crystal Core, headed towards the crystal dome. The snow fell heavier and heavier, and the red light of the Backlash Layer formed a barrier around them; every step they took felt like pushing against an ice wall. Suddenly, the Ice-Fire Entwining Pattern on A Mu's sword sheath lit up, this time a soft interweaving of pale blue and pale red—the sword was pointing to the location of the adjustment point.
"It's on the ice pillar on the left side of the dome!" A Shuang pointed ahead, where there was a pale blue ice pillar, the adjustment point of the seal. A Mu quickly took out the Star Core Fragments and was about to place it on the ice pillar when the red light of the Backlash Layer suddenly surged, trapping him in the middle—the energy of the Star Core Fragments was forcibly absorbed, and A Mu's fingertips began to go numb. The Icefield Wolf suddenly pounced, using its body to block the red light, and a golden glow emanated from its body, temporarily blocking the attack of the red light.
"Quickly release the fragments!" A Shuang shouted. A Mu gritted his teeth and placed the Star Core Fragments, Forest Heart Crystal Fragments, and Molten Fire Crystal Fragments onto the ice pillar in turn. The moment the fragments touched the ice pillar, pale blue light flowed into the seal along the ice pillar. The red light of the Backlash Layer gradually weakened, and the pale blue patterns on the ground reappeared, intertwining with the light of the fragments.
When the last fragment was placed on top, the crystal dome stopped vibrating, and the red light of the Backlash Layer slowly retreated back into the ice field, leaving only faint energy ripples. A Mu and A Shuang leaned against the ice pillar, panting, while the Icefield Wolf also breathed a sigh of relief and lay down on the snow to lick its paws.
Back with the group, the elder looked at the now-calm dome and smiled, "The balance has been temporarily restored, but the energy of the Child Crystal Core still needs periodic adjustment—this isn't something that can be resolved in one go." A Ya quickly recorded on the thin ice. " The Mother Crystal Core core of the Permafrost Icefield is sealed; the energy of the Child Crystal Core needs to be adjusted monthly to prevent the Backlash Layer from awakening." A Shi added, "We need to record the energy intensity of each Child Crystal Core to ensure even release."
Suddenly, a soft light emanated from the crystal dome, condensing into a line of words on the snow. "Next adjustment point, Western Territory Sand Sea." Loran gazed at the words, lost in thought, "It seems we need to go to the desert to adjust the energy of the Child Crystal Core there."
On the return journey, the Ice-Fire Entwining Pattern on A Mu's sword scabbard returned to calm, and the fragments of the Child Crystal Core core became gentle. The Icefield Wolf carried a small ice crystal that had fallen from the adjustment point in its mouth; the ice crystal shimmered with a pale blue light, like a "certificate" given to them by the ice field. The boys' steps were no longer heavy, but rather filled with more determination—they finally understood that protection was not about "activating" or "repairing," but about finding the point of balance in everything through every choice.
As night deepened, A Mu placed the Icefield's records (no longer "logs," but "adjustment manuals") into the Guardian's bookshelf. The manual's title page depicted a balance diagram of a crystal dome and pale blue patterns, with the words "Balance is Protection" written beside it. The seventeen records on the bookshelf, from the initial "Revitalizing Life" to the current "Maintaining Balance," recorded not only footprints but also a renewed understanding of the word "protection." Moonlight shone through the gaps in the tent onto the manual, reflecting off the Ice Memory Crystal and the small Ice Crystal beside it, as if telling a story: True protection is not about fighting against imbalance, but about understanding how to allow all things to coexist and thrive before imbalance occurs.
The story of " The Qilin of Falling Maple " is no longer a cycle of "rebirth in a certain place," but rather a journey towards the more complex mission of energy regulation in the Western Territory Sand Sea, imbued with a reverence for balance. There are no thrilling "victories," only careful "regulation," meticulously considered "choices," and the "way of balance" passed down across the icy plains—these ordinary yet solemn actions, like the pale blue patterns on the Permafrost Icefield, are quiet yet enduring, slowly weaving a "net of balance" covering the continent, protecting every unhurried and steady life force.