As dawn broke and the morning mist of the Qilin Holy Land had not yet dissipated, the uniforms of the Youth Guardian Camp were already shimmering with a pale gray light in the morning glow. A Mu, clutching the " New Sprout Sword " and with the Ice and Fire Warning Crystal at his waist, stood at the camp entrance, looking back and forth. This was the first time the youths had patrolled independently. The route started from the Holy Land, passed through the Clear Creek River, and then went to the edge of the Rotting Soul Abyss. They were accompanied by Loran, Lei Lin, and Snow Spirit Qilin throughout the journey, but they were required to discover and deal with any minor hidden dangers on their own.
"Is everyone here?" Loran arrived riding his Cloudhorn Beast, with Icefield Wolf beside him, carrying a Soul-Purifying Water in its mouth. "Today's patrol mission is simple: record the vitality along the way, clean up any remaining Evil Energy you find, and if you encounter any problems you can't solve, contact us using the warning crystal."
Lei Lin flapped his fiery wings and distributed a bag of "Ice and Fire Energy Biscuits" to the boys. "These biscuits contain the primal power of the Qilin Clan, which will keep you alert in the evil mist. Eat one if you get hungry. Remember, observe first if you encounter anything unusual, don't rush in." Snow Spirit Qilin handed over a roll of parchment with a patrol route map drawn on it, key locations marked with light blue. "These are the places where fragments of Evil Bone were found before. Focus on checking for any new Evil Energy fluctuations."
Liya, carrying a replica of the " Illustrated Catalog of Plants," walked over to A Mu and pointed to the image of the Water-Purifying Grass in the book. "Pay close attention to this grass. If its leaves turn yellow, it means there is Evil Energy nearby. If it blooms, it means the Purification Power here is very strong."
The boys responded in unison, raising their " New Sprout Sword " and setting off on their patrol. Just outside the sacred ground, they saw morning dew clinging to the new leaves of the Qilin Heart Tree, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled patterns on the ground—several small Qilin were playing around the trunk, and upon seeing A Mu and the others, they even brought over a few leaves shimmering with light, as if offering a "patrol blessing."
"Write this down quickly!" A Mu pulled out the small notebook Liya had given him, dipped his pen in ink, and wrote rapidly, "On the first day of the patrol, the new leaves of the Qilin Heart Tree in the Holy Land are lush and abundant. The little Qilin gave him a leaf of shimmering light, Evil Energy ripple through." The boy A Shi next to him squatted down and carefully tucked the leaf into the notebook, afraid of damaging this small token of life.
As they walked down the mountain path, the sound of the Clear Creek River gradually became clearer. The water was even clearer than when they last came, Silver-Scale Fish leaped on the surface, splashing water onto the Water-Purifying Grass on the bank, causing the leaves to immediately shimmer with a pale green light. A Mu leaned closer and lightly touched the leaves with his fingertips, and the Water-Purifying Grass pattern on his notebook also lit up.
"Sister Liya is right!" A Mu shouted excitedly as he turned around. " The Water-Purifying Grass is responding to our touch, there's no Evil Energy here!" Loran stood not far away, watching the boys observe and record around the waterweed, and couldn't help but smile. Once upon a time, he too was filled with curiosity about unfamiliar powers, and now that curiosity was turning into a new protective force.
Just then, the Icefield Wolf suddenly growled towards the woods on the opposite bank of the river, its golden eyes fixed on a bush in the forest. A Mu immediately gripped the " New Sprout Sword " and ran after the Icefield Wolf —in the bush, a snow-white " Mist Spirit Rabbit " was curled up, its left foreleg showing faint black markings, clearly having come into contact with residual Evil Energy; even its usually lively ears were drooping, and its eyes were weak.
"It's residual Evil Energy!" A Mu immediately took out the warning crystal, but Snow Spirit Qilin stopped him. "Don't rush, this Evil Energy is very faint, it's perfect for you to try and figure out how to deal with it. Think about what we taught you before, what power Evil Energy energy?"
The boys looked at each other, and then A Shi suddenly spoke up, "The power of nature nourishes life, and the Purification Power can dispel Evil Energy! We can first use the power of nature to stabilize the rabbit's injuries, and then use the Purification Power to clear away the Evil Energy!"
Liya smiled and nodded, taking a small bottle of " Vitality Dew " from her backpack and handing it to A Mu: "Apply this around the rabbit's wound, then gently guide it with the Purification Power of the New Sprout Sword. Remember, be gentle, don't scare it."
A Mu took a deep breath, squatted down, and gently lifted the Mist Spirit Rabbit. The little creature seemed to sense the kindness and didn't struggle, only nuzzling his palm with its nose. A Mu first applied the Vitality Dew to the rabbit's injured leg; the pale green liquid stopped spreading as soon as it touched the skin. Then, he gripped the New Sprout Sword tightly, channeling the Purification Power from his fingertips into the sword. The blade glowed with a soft, pale white light, and he gently pressed it against the black markings—
A pale white light followed the black stripes, and the Mist Spirit Rabbit's body gradually relaxed, its droopy ears perking up. Before long, the black stripes completely disappeared, and the rabbit jumped down from A Mu's hands, circled him twice, and then hopped into the forest, not forgetting to look back once more, as if to say thank you.
"Success!" The boys cheered. A Mu quickly jotted down in his notebook. "An injured Mist Spirit Rabbit was found on the opposite bank of the Clear Creek River. It was treated with Vitality Dew and the Purification Power of the New Sprout Sword. The Evil Energy was cleared, and the rabbit recovered." Although the handwriting was a bit messy, it was written with exceptional care.
Continuing onward, they reached the edge of the Rotting Soul Abyss. The once desolate Evil Bone Canyon was now overgrown with Forget-Me-Not grass, its pale purple flowers swaying in the wind. Butterflies alighted on the blossoms, their wings casting shimmering shadows on the boys' uniforms. A Mu crouched where he had previously discovered the fragments of Holy Iron, using his New Sprout Sword to part the grass—there were no new fragments of Evil Bone in the soil, only a few ants busily carrying grass seeds.