"They're back!" Elder Aila's voice was filled with excitement. She raised her bow and arrow, but didn't nock the arrow; instead, she let the crystal at the tip catch a landing Fluorescent Butterfly. "The last time I saw Fluorescent Butterfly was thirty years ago, after the Evil Bone Incident, and they haven't appeared since."
A Ya immediately pulled out her paintbrush and knelt down beside the rune table to sketch. "I need to draw the Fluorescent Butterfly and label them 'Symbol of Vitality in the Elven Woods '! I also need to remember that they like to stay where there is runic light, so that I can judge the energy of the rune array by the number of butterflies later!" She was so engrossed in her drawing that she even carefully depicted the blue light patterns on the butterfly's wings. The Icefield Wolf came over and gently touched the butterfly with its nose, but the little guy wasn't afraid of it. Instead, it landed on its ear, its wings shimmering with a soft light.
Loran walked to the core of the Tree of Life's array, gazing at the Life Crystal embedded in the trunk—the crystal had regained its lustrous green light, the remaining Evil Energy on its surface completely gone, and even a faint golden light could be seen flowing slowly deep within it. "This is... a sense of pure energy from afar?" Elder Aila also leaned closer, her fingertips lightly touching the crystal. "The crystal can sense life force from all over the continent; this golden light seems to be coming from the ' Morning Light Grassland ' in the east."
A Mu immediately pulled out his notebook and wrote on a new page, " The Elven Woods rune array has been restored. The Life Crystal sensed the pure power of the Eastern Morning Light Grassland, and the Fluorescent Butterfly have returned to their nests. Regular inspections of the Ironleaf Flower growth at the rune platform are necessary, along with recording changes in the number of Fluorescent Butterfly." He wrote neatly and even drew a small Icefire Crystal Ore pattern at the bottom of the page, labeled "For Charging Only."
As the sun set, the boys sat under the shade of the Tree of Life, sharing the "berry cake" brought by Elder Aila —the berries adorning the cake were watered with the spring water from the rune array, each bite bursting with sweetness. A Mu tried using the ice and fire light of the New Sprout Sword to coat A Ya's paintbrush with a layer of shimmering light, so that even drawing at night would allow the lines to be clearly seen; A Shi compiled today's notes into a "Rune Array Guardian Guide," even adding simple illustrations for each step.
On the return journey, the Fluorescent Butterfly followed the group all the way to the edge of the Elven Forest before slowly dispersing. A Mu looked back; the runes of the Tree of Life glowed with a soft green light in the twilight, like a warm veil draped over the forest. "Let's come every month from now on," A Mu discussed with his companions, "To see how the Ironleaf Flower are growing, and to count how many more Fluorescent Butterfly have appeared."
Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin were already waiting outside the forest. Seeing the petals and Fluorescent Butterfly wings clinging to the boys' backpacks, Snow Spirit Qilin smiled and handed them new warning crystals, "These are made from fragments of Life Crystal. They can more sensitively sense fluctuations in life force. In the future, when you patrol the forest, you'll know in advance where you need help."
As night deepened, A Mu placed the patrol logs of the Elven Woods into the "Guardian Bookshelf"—four logs were already arranged on the shelf: the ripples of the Clear Creek River, the flowers and plants at the edge of the abyss, the Ironleaf Flower of the mine, and the Fluorescent Butterfly of the Elven Woods. Each log was filled with the boys' handwriting and small specimens. Moonlight shone through the gaps in the tent onto the logs, as if gilding these fragmented stories of guardianship with a gentle glow.
The story of " The Qilin of Falling Maple " continues to unfold amidst the morning dew in the forest, the shimmering light of runes, and the wings of butterflies. There are no fierce battles, only the hands of young men wielding swords, the warmth of lines on drawing paper, and the life force flowing within crystals—these ordinary moments, like the Fluorescent Butterfly of the Elven Forest, are faint yet steadfast, slowly converging into a protective light illuminating the continent. And the distant golden light sensed by the Life Crystal seems to be a quiet harbinger: there are many more places of life waiting for them to protect and witness.