As noon approached, the Evil Energy in the mine had been mostly cleared. Loran divided the boys into two groups: one group followed Copper Hammer to learn how to charge the Holy Iron in the forge, and the other group followed Liya to plant Ironleaf Flower around the mine. A Mu chose to plant Ironleaf Flower. He imitated Liya, using his New Sprout Sword to dig shallow pits beside the ore, placing the Ironleaf Flower seedlings in them, and then watering them with the Soul-Purifying Water that A Ze had specially brought—as soon as the seedlings touched the water, their leaves glowed with a pale green light, as if they had immediately taken root.
"Lord Loran, look!" A Ya suddenly pointed to a small cave deep in the mine, "There's light flashing there! It's not the black light of Evil Energy, it's a pale golden light!" Loran and the Icefield Wolf immediately went over. The cave wasn't deep, and at the end of the cave, embedded in the rock, was a crystal the size of a fist. The crystal shone with a soft, pale golden light, and its surface had no evil markings. Instead, one could feel the pure life force emanating from it.
"This is a ' Ore Vein Source Crystal '!" Copper Hammer leaned closer for a look, his tone filled with surprise. "Legend has it that this kind of crystal is nurtured in the Holy Iron Mine, nourishing the entire vein and enhancing the Holy Iron's Purification Power! We didn't find it when we were clearing away the Evil Energy; it must have been drawn out by the life force of the Ironleaf Flower!"
A Mu squatted in front of the Source Crystal, not touching it rashly, but taking out his notebook to record. " Source Crystal found deep in the ore vein, emitting a faint golden light, Evil Energy, but possessing vitality, capable of nourishing the ore vein." He remembered Loran saying that the record must be accurate, without missing any details, so that other guardian teams would know there was Source Crystal here when they came to patrol in the future.
As the sun set, the boys, carrying backpacks filled with mineral specimens and Ironleaf Flower seeds, followed Loran back to the Qilin Holy Land. On the way, A Mu took out his small Watch Hammer and gently tapped the Icefire Crystal Ore in his backpack. Sure enough, the New Sprout Sword emitted a pale golden light, brighter than before. "From now on, we can come to the mine once a month," A Mu discussed with his companions, "To see how the Ironleaf Flower are growing, to record the light from the Source Crystal, and to help Uncle Copper Hammer check the anchor points."
When they returned to the sacred land, Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin were waiting for them at the camp entrance. Lei Lin saw the Icefire Crystal Ore in A Mu's backpack and laughed, "Not bad, you even know to look for ore that can be charged! Tomorrow I'll teach you how to resonate with the power of ice and fire using the ore, so your sword can emit a purifying light of ice and fire!" Snow Spirit Qilin then handed A Ya a new piece of parchment. "This is a map of the area around the mine, marking places where Ironleaf Flower seeds might appear. You can collect them during your next patrol."
Around the campfire, the boys gathered, compiling their findings into a " Ore Vein Guardian Journal." A Ya drew the diagrams, A Mu recorded the text, A Shi arranged the mineral specimens by type, attaching small labels. Loran watched them, then gazed towards the distant Blackstone Mountain Range —the forge there was still lit, the Chief Tongchui was likely still forging new Holy Iron tools, the Source Crystal in the mine glowed with a pale golden light, and the seedlings of Ironleaf Flower grew gently in the night breeze.
The Icefield Wolf lay at Loran's feet, a leaf of Ironleaf Flower dangling from its mouth, the pale green light on the leaf reflecting in its golden eyes. Loran knew that the young people's path of protection had only just begun. From clearing away Evil Energy to planting plants, from identifying ores to discovering Source Crystal, every step was growth, every step a glimmer of protection. And the peace of this continent was sustained by these glimmers of light, by these moments of perseverance.
As night deepened, A Mu placed the Ore Vein Guardian Journal on the "Guardian Bookshelf" in the camp—the shelf already contained the Clear Creek River Journal and the Abyss Edge Journal, and more would follow. Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the tent, falling on the lines of the log, as if writing a new footnote for these young guardians.
The story of " The Qilin of Falling Maple " continues to unfold amidst the ordinary routines of daily life. There are no earth-shattering battles, only the hands of young people wielding tools, the warmth of lines on drawing paper, and the faint glow of ores—these subtle beauties, like the Holy Iron of the Blackstone Mountain Range, are refined and polished, ultimately becoming a solid force protecting the continent. And the Source Crystal hidden deep within the mines and the Ironleaf Flower growing in the mountains silently bear witness: protection is not a momentary burst of passion, but a long-term commitment to companionship and growth.