Snow Spirit Qilin nodded, "I can suppress the core on my own for now. With Lei Lin by your side, we'll have more protection. The evil energy in the abyss is dense, and the power of ice and fire can better resist the evil mist!"
Loran for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Alright! Lei Lin will come with us, and Snow Spirit Qilin will guard the temple. If there's anything unusual at the core, contact us immediately using a communication talisman!"
After everyone divided up their tasks, Lei Lin injected some of his fire power into the rune array to ensure its stable operation; Liya handed the " Illustrated Catalog of Plants " to Snow Spirit Qilin, the natural runes on the pages helping her with early warnings; A Ze distributed a bottle of Soul-Purifying Water to everyone, which would keep them alert in the evil fog; and the Icefield Wolf, carrying the Fallen Star Iron Dagger, stood beside Loran, ready to set off at any moment.
Outside the core rift of the Rotting Soul Abyss, the dark purple evil mist was much thinner than it had been six months ago, but a suffocating pressure still emanated from the depths of the rift. Loran and his group carefully sneaked into the rift. The fragments of Evil Bone on the rock walls had long lost their evil power, but still retained their hideous forms—this was the Matriarch's last hiding place, and also the cradle where she regained her power.
"Watch out! Something's approaching!" Liya suddenly stopped, her fingertips glowing red with the power of nature. The pages of the " Illustrated Catalog of Plants " (which she had temporarily retrieved just in case) flipped rapidly, revealing several semi-transparent shadows—the " Evil Bone Shadow Guard," puppets created by the Matriarch using the evil power of the Origin Worm. Their bodies were composed of Evil Bone and shadows, allowing them to become invisible in the evil mist.
A Shadow Guard suddenly leaped from the shadows, its Evil Bone claws aimed straight for Loran's back! The Icefield Wolf immediately turned, its dagger plunging deep into the Shadow Guard's core, instantly turning the Shadow Guard into black ash; Lei Lin's fiery wings swept across, golden-red flames illuminating the surrounding shadows and forcing the hidden Shadow Guard out; A Ze condensed water elements, forming a water-patterned cage to trap the Shadow Guard's movements; Liya fired a natural light arrow, purifying the evil power within the Shadow Guard's body.
In just a quarter of an hour, more than a dozen Shadow Guard were wiped out, but the pressure deep within the rift grew stronger and stronger—the Mistress's Origin Worm had sensed their arrival.
"The deepest part of the core rift is just ahead!" Snow Spirit Qilin's voice transmission talisman suddenly sounded. "The black patterns in the core are starting to move faster; the Mistress is absorbing energy with all her might! You must hurry!"
Loran quickened his pace, and after turning a corner around a rock wall, the sight before them made everyone gasp: at the deepest part of the rift, there was a mountain of Evil Bone Evil Bone. In the center of the pile, the Matriarch's remains were curled up, and on her worm abdomen, a fist-sized, translucent Origin Worm was clinging to her. The evil energy threads at the worm's mouth were connected at one end to the rift above (leading to the Purification Core ), and at the other end to a giant Evil Bone in the pile of Evil Bone —that was the " Origin Evil Bone " of the Rotting Soul Abyss, containing the most primal evil power.
"You... you really did come." The Matriarch's voice came from the mangled body, weak yet tinged with madness, "I thought I could absorb energy for a few more days, but I didn't expect you to find out so quickly... But it doesn't matter, with the Origin Evil Bone, I can perish together with you!"
The Origin Worm suddenly detached from the mother worm's abdomen and burrowed into the pile of Evil Bone. The pile of Evil Bone instantly lit up with a dark purple light, and countless fragments of Evil Bone floated in the air, forming an " Evil Bone Storm " that swept towards Loran and his group!
"Purify with the power of the three elements!" Loran leaped into the air, the golden-purple light of his knight's sword slashing towards the Evil Bone Storm. The Evil Bone fragments were struck by the light and instantly turned into crystal dust; Lei Lin's fire wings intertwined with A Ze's water element to form an " Ice-Fire-Water Shield " to block the Evil Bone fragments that slipped through; Liya's natural light arrow shot towards the Origin Evil Bone in the pile of Evil Bone, attempting to cut off the Mother's energy source; while the Icefield Wolf burrowed into the pile of Evil Bone, its Fallen Star Iron dagger searching for traces of the Origin Worm.
"Found you!" came the howl of the Icefield Wolf. A dagger pierced a crevice in a piece of Evil Bone, and the Origin Worm, with a shrill cry, crawled out of the crevice, attempting to escape into the depths of the rift. Loran immediately gave chase, condensing the power of the three elements into Purifying Light Spear, which pierced the Origin Worm's body— the Purification Power of the spear erupted instantly, and the Origin Worm's body began to melt rapidly. Blackish-purple evil energy threads broke from its body, and Snow Spirit Qilin's voice came from the direction of the Purification Temple: "The black markings on the core have disappeared! The energy of the Qilin Heart Crystal has been restored!"
The moment the Origin Worm completely melted, the Matriarch's remains let out a shrill scream before turning into a pile of black ash. The dark purple light emanating from the pile of Evil Bone also dissipated. The evil mist deep within the rift began to recede rapidly, and even a ray of sunlight shone through a crack at the top of the rift, falling on Loran.
"Is it over?" A Ze panted, looking at the scene before him. Loran nodded, then shook his head. "The Matriarch's Origin Worm have been destroyed, but the Origin Evil Bone of the Rotting Soul Abyss remain. As long as the Evil Bone exist, new evil beings may be born—we need to purify it regularly to prevent the evil power from accumulating again."
The group returned to Qilin Radiance Peak through the rift. The core of the Purification Temple had been restored to its pure state, and the Qilin Heart Crystal shone even brighter than before. Snow Spirit Qilin and the Chief Tongchui were waiting for them, and their faces showed relieved smiles upon seeing everyone return safely.
"Has the Matriarch been completely dealt with?" The Chief Tongchui handed over a jug of ale. Loran took it, drank a sip, and looked towards the distant continent. "It's temporarily resolved, but we can't let our guard down. The Abyss's Origin Evil Bone still exists and needs our protection—and the continent's recovery continues; there are still many places that need our help."
Liya opened the " Illustrated Catalog of Plants," its pages recording the sights she had witnessed during her travels: the druid tribes of the eastern forests cultivating plants resistant to evil; the human city-states of the west beginning to rebuild their walls destroyed by Evil Bone; and the orc tribes of the south offering to form an alliance with other races to jointly protect the continent. "Our legend is not over yet," Liya said with a smile.
Loran walked to the Purification Pool, gazing at her reflection in the water. Her companions were discussing their future plans: Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin intended to invite more of the lost Qilin Clan back to Qilin Radiance Peak; A Ze wanted to build a " Soul-Purifying Water Station" beside the Swamp Spirit Clan's river to provide purified water for the surrounding area; the Chief Tongchui planned to forge more Holy Iron weapons to distribute to various clans and enhance their defenses; and the Icefield Wolf lay at Loran's feet, its golden eyes gazing into the distance, as if anticipating the next guardian journey.
As the sun sets, golden rays bathe Qilin Radiance Peak, and the surface of the Purification Pool shimmers. The temple bells toll slowly, their sound echoing across the entire continent. These bells are no longer a warning of crisis, but a declaration of peace and a promise of protection.
Loran knew that peace was not a one-time thing, but required the protection of generations. But as long as he had these companions by his side, and as long as the various races of the continent were united, nothing could destroy the vitality of this land.
The story of " The Qilin of Falling Maple " may have come to an end, but the legend of the continent's guardians will never fade.