The group immediately divided the tasks: A Wu and the Marshspeech Tribe members were responsible for cleaning the Mist-Purifying Spring —they wove reed tubes into "fog filters" and laid them on the surface of the spring to filter out the ash film formed by swamp gas; A Ya, carrying Sac-Coagulating Gel and Symbiotic Fiber, repaired the damaged Marshheart Sac —she attached the Symbiotic Fiber to the cracks in the sac and then applied Sac-Coagulating Gel. The fibers acted like a "skeleton" to support the sac wall, while the glue sealed the cracks; A Shi used waterproof birch planks to record the extent of damage to the Marshheart Sac and the transparency of the Mist-Purifying Spring Marshheart Sac, and also drew a "swamp sac-spring-insect" cycle diagram, marking the areas that needed priority repair; A Mu, holding the fragment of the Child Crystal Core (choosing the most gentle Moonheart Crystal Fragments ), prepared to inject energy to stabilize the sac after it was repaired.
Cleaning the Mist-Purifying Spring was more difficult than expected—the ash film stuck to the mist filter, and the filter had to be replaced every few minutes. A Wu taught everyone to blow air into the bottom of the spring using reed tubes to make the settled methane bubbles float to the surface, and then catch them with the mist filter. "Methane is light, blowing it from the bottom will make it float up, so it doesn't sink back into the spring." The Icefield Wolf also came to help, gently digging at the mud around the spring with its paws to find the fragments of the Marshheart Sac hidden in the mud, making it easier for A Ya to repair.
About an hour later, the water in the Mist-Purifying Spring finally returned to its clear state, its surface shimmering with a faint green light, and the mist became clean and transparent. A Ya quickly picked up a repaired Marshheart Sac and placed it by the spring—the bag immediately expanded slightly upon contact with the mist, as if it were breathing. "We can draw mist now!" A Wu shouted, raising the Main Mist-Guiding Tube and aiming it at the Purifying Mist-Purifying Spring. She gently blew—a stream of transparent mist flowed out of the pipe and drifted right into the Marshheart Sac, which slowly inflated, like a small lantern filled with moonlight.
A Mu quickly affixed the Moonheart Crystal Fragments to the Marshheart Sac, gathering a wisp of gentle ice and fire power at his fingertips—this time not to inject it, but to anchor the mist energy within the sac, preventing it from drifting aimlessly. Strangely, when the energy of the Moonheart Crystal Fragments touched the sac, the Mist-Dwelling Insect in the distance suddenly flew back. They circled the Marshheart Sac, the pale green light on their wings falling onto the sac wall, as if coating the sac with a protective film.
"The insects are back!" A Ya exclaimed in surprise. The Mist-Dwelling Insect were not only repairing their membranes, but also expelling tiny secretions around their sacs. These secretions fell into the mud and sprouted tiny Marshheart Sac seedlings—as if replenishing the cycle with new energy. A Shi quickly recorded on the wooden board. "At 3:45 AM, the cleansing of the Mist-Purifying Spring is complete, and its transparency has recovered to 80%; at 1:15 PM, the first batch of Marshheart Sac has been repaired, and the Mist-Dwelling Insect have returned; at 3:45 PM, the sacs begin to expand naturally, and the cycle has begun to form!"
Just then, the Marshheart Sac closest to the spring suddenly began to tremble again—the energy of the Moonheart Crystal Fragments was almost exhausted, and the mist energy inside the sac was becoming unstable again. "Change to Tidal Crystal Shard!" Loran shouted, " Tidal Crystal's energy is the best match for water vapor; it can stabilize the mist flow!" A Mu quickly changed to the Tidal Crystal Shard. This time, he didn't stick it directly to the sac, but held the shard above the sac, letting the energy transform into tiny threads of light that gently wrapped around the sac—as soon as the threads of light touched the mist flow, the sac's trembling immediately stopped, and the mist flow became stable, as if being gently supported by a hand.
When the last Marshheart Sac was repaired, the mist in the Mist-Purifying Spring suddenly became thicker, forming a pale green column of mist that shot straight into the sky. The surrounding Marshheart Sac lit up, like a cluster of glowing lanterns. Mist-Dwelling Insect danced among the sacs, forming pale green bands of light. Even the smell of marshland in the air disappeared, leaving only the moist scent of grass.
The Marshspeech Tribe cheered, raising their reed pipes and blowing lighthearted tunes. The mist swayed with the music, as if dancing. A Ya took out her paintbrush and sketched the scene on a waterproof birchwood board—the glowing Marshheart Sac, the fluttering Mist-Dwelling Insect, and the tribespeople holding reed pipes. She also added a note beside it, "The circulation of the Marshheart Sac in the Mist Swamp requires the synergy of three factors: the vapor from the Mist-Purifying Spring, the energy from the Child Crystal Core, and the secretions of the Mist-Dwelling Insect. The integrity of the sac must be checked regularly."
The Marshspeech Tribe elder held A Mu's hand and handed him a small Marshheart Sac: "This is a ' Living Sac,' which can sense the swamp's circulation status. Wear it when you need to regulate it. If the pouch is bright, it means the circulation is good; if it's dark, it means there's a problem." A Mu took the Living Sac, and the pouch trembled gently in his palm, creating a soft resonance with the fragment of the Child Crystal Core at his waist.
Suddenly, a beam of light emanated from the central column of mist at the spring, condensing into the words: "Next adjustment point, Flamelight Cave." Loran stared at the words, lost in thought, " Flamelight Cave should have a lot of fire element. The Child Crystal Core energy might conflict with fire; we need to prepare fireproofing in advance."
On the return journey, the fog gradually dissipated, and the setting sun shone through the reeds, casting its light on the Marshheart Sac, making them glow with a pale green light, like stars scattered in the swamp. The Icefield Wolf carried a reed tube covered in the secretions of Mist-Dwelling Insect in its mouth, with a small Mist-Dwelling Insect still wrapped around the end of the tube, as if it were a souvenir from the swamp. A Mu touched the Living Sac in his palm and suddenly understood: balance is not a simple two-way adaptation, but rather multiple elements linked together like a ring; if one link is missing, the entire system will stop functioning.
As night deepened, A Mu placed the swamp's "regulation records" into the guardian bookshelf—the title page of the records depicted a cycle diagram of "swamp sac-spring-insect," with the words "balance is a closed loop of interconnected links" written beside it. The nineteen records on the shelf, ranging from "activating vitality" to "multi-element cycles," each deepened the understanding of the ecosystem. Moonlight shone through the gaps in the tent onto the records, reflecting off the Living Sac and reed tubes beside them, as if telling a story: true guardianship is not about repairing individual links, but about seeing the connection between each link and letting them reconnect, creating a continuous cycle of life.
The story of " The Qilin of Falling Maple " is now heading towards the Flamelight Cave, carrying with it the understanding of "circular cycles." There are no thrilling battles, only the cleaning of the spring, the repair of the sac, and the guidance of the insect swarm—these seemingly trivial actions, like the Marshheart Sac in the Mist Swamp, are small yet crucial, gradually weaving a "net of balance" that covers the continent, protecting every interlocking cycle of life.