"The grass here is much denser than last time!" A Shi pointed to the slope at the edge of the abyss. "Lord Loran, look, even the battle pits from before are filled with grass!" Loran walked over, looking at the new green on the slope, recalling the black miasma that enveloped the area when he first came here, and his heart was filled with emotion. "This grass was nurtured by the pure power after the crystal core shattered. They are helping us protect this land, just like you."
As the sun set, the patrol team returned to the Qilin Holy Land. The boys sat around the campfire, eagerly recounting their patrol experiences to Elder Cangxuan and Elder White. A Mu even handed over his notebook, proudly pointing to what he had written, "Elders, we rescued a Mist Spirit Rabbit today, and we also discovered that the Water-Purifying Grass in the Clear Creek River has bloomed!"
Elder White took the notebook, carefully flipping through each page, his eyes slightly moist. "Good, good! Our guardian has finally found a new successor." The Chief Tongchui then approached, carrying a newly forged "Little Watch Hammer," and handed it to A Mu: "This is your reward. You can use it to clear small fragments embedded in the ground during your patrols."
Liya organized the boys' records and pasted them on the last page of the replica of the " Illustrated Catalog of Plants." She also drew a scene of rescuing the Mist Spirit Rabbit that day. "From now on, every time you patrol, write down your experiences. When this book is full, we'll put it in the memorial hall of the Watchkeep so that future generations will know how peace has been protected by generations."
Loran walked outside the camp, gazing at the distant starry sky. The Icefield Wolf lay at his feet, a single feather left behind by the Mist Spirit Rabbit dangling from its mouth, as if treasuring the day's memories. Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin approached, holding a newly drawn "Map of Continental Vitality"—the map marked the signs of new life in various places: the wheat fields of Green Forest Town, the new trees of the Elven Forest, the streams of the Blackstone Mountain Range, and the routes the young people had patrolled, all marked with pale green light as "Guardians on the First Journey."
"From now on, there will be more and more patrols like this." Lei Lin looked at the boys by the campfire, his voice gentle. "We're getting old, and there will come a day when we can no longer move, but as long as they're still here, the protection will never stop."
Snow Spirit Qilin nodded, the ice talisman glowing with a soft white light. "The ice talisman senses that the residual Evil Energy across the continent is decreasing. In a few years, we may no longer need warning crystals. But we still need to teach them, not to fight against Evil Energy, but to remember—protecting life is protecting our own home."
Around the campfire, A Mu was leading the boys in planning tomorrow's patrol. Though the handwriting on the notebook was still immature, it was filled with determination. Not far away, Liya was drawing new leaves under the Qilin Heart Tree, Lei Lin was teaching the little Qilin how to control fire, Snow Spirit Qilin was changing the water in the Purification Pool, and the Chief Tongchui was forging new tools for the boys. These ordinary actions, like specks of light, converged into a protective light that illuminated the continent.
The story of " The Qilin of Falling Maple " lacks dramatic twists and turns, offering only a gentle, enduring warmth. True legends aren't defined by a single earth-shattering battle, but by countless individuals who, through their daily perseverance, sow the seeds of peace in every inch of land, allowing them to slowly sprout, blossom, and grow into towering trees that shelter all. And the roots of this tree are firmly planted in the hands of the young warriors wielding the " New Sprout Sword," and in the hearts of everyone who believes that "protection is meaningful."