A Shi squatted beside the reef, his notebook filled with rapid notes. "At 1:15 AM, the power of ice and fire was injected into Tide-Watching Reef, and the black silk of Evil Energy receded by 40%; at 3:45 AM, the symbiotic zone of Morning Dew Flower and Tide-Growing Grass took shape, and the gray fog in the seawater faded; the black spots on the pearl oysters began to fade!" He even used seashells to draw a map of the location of the tide stones and purification zone on the notebook, marking "pay special attention to the western reef during high tide"—that was where Xiao Yu said Evil Energy was most likely to gather during each high tide.
Just as the Evil Energy was about to be completely extracted, the blue light of Tide-Watching Reef suddenly flickered—the distant tide suddenly accelerated, and the gray mist in the seawater was swept up by the waves and drifted towards the direction of the Fishermen's Village! A Mu gripped the hilt of his sword in a hurry, and suddenly remembered what A Ze had said in the communication crystal about " Water Vein Flow Stabilization Technique ". He immediately separated a wisp of ice power and poured it into the seawater along the reef's texture, which condensed into a thin ice film on the sea surface, temporarily blocking the gray mist's path.
"Use the main rune of the Tide Stone as a 'water conduit'!" Loran's voice came from the ship. "Infuse the power of ice and fire into the largest rune, let the reef guide the seawater back, and pull the gray fog back to the purification zone!"
A Mu immediately adjusted the flow of power, and the power of ice and fire surged into the main pattern of the Tide-Watching Reef —the reef suddenly emitted a deep hum, and the blue light at its top instantly brightened, as if an invisible water net had been unfurled, pulling the gray mist drifting towards the fishing village back to the reef group. The leaves of the Tide-Growing Grass instantly turned greener, and its roots stretched out in the seawater, completely absorbing the Evil Energy in the gray mist; the Morning Dew Flower bloomed with tiny white flowers, and its faint fragrance drifted with the sea breeze, even the evil fishy smell in the air disappeared.
"Look at the bottom of the reef!" Xiao Yu suddenly pointed to the bottom of Tide-Watching Reef. Everyone looked down and saw a golden crystal core buried in the sand at the bottom of the reef—half of the crystal core was submerged in seawater, and its surface was wrapped with very faint black threads. It was the " Sunset Crystal Core "! The golden light of the crystal core was exactly the same as the light of the Morning Light Crystal Cluster. It was obviously the life core of the bay, but it was bound by Evil Energy and could not be awakened.
"This is the ' Heart of the Tide ' in the bay!" Loran leaped onto the reef, his fingertips glowing with a purifying light. "Activating it will completely stabilize the tides and restore life to the shellfish in the seawater— A Mu, would you like to give it a try?"
A Mu nodded, walked to the crystal core, and placed the New Sprout Sword horizontally above it. This time, he didn't rush to inject power. Instead, he first allowed the Water Vein Adaptation Rune on the scabbard to resonate with the golden light of the crystal core, and then slowly poured the power of ice and fire into thin streams along the patterns of the crystal core. The golden light of the crystal core instantly surged, and the black threads on its surface quickly receded like sand washed away by the tide. The golden light spread along the water veins, covering the entire Sunset Bay.
"The tide is coming in! It's a normal golden tide!" Uncle Zhou suddenly cheered. Everyone looked up and saw the sea surface shimmering with golden light. The tide surged towards the mudflats along its normal course, and as it washed over the leaves of the Tide-Growing Grass, the seawater became exceptionally clear, even the seashells on the bottom shimmered with a luminous white light. Several pearl oysters that had previously turned black were now opening their shells, the water they expelled carrying a sweet taste, and the pearls inside had regained their former luster.
Fishermen from the Fishermen's Village rowed their boats over, carrying their fresh catch—glistening ribbonfish, swimming crabs with red roe, and clams just dug from the mudflats. The Xiao Yu's grandmother brought over a bowl of hot seafood porridge and handed it to the boys. "This is made with freshly caught clams. Thank you for bringing the bay back to life!"
A Ya took out her paintbrush and lay down on the rocks to sketch—she deliberately included scenes of the golden tide, fishing boats returning home, and children playing on the mudflats in her drawing. She also marked the Sunset Crystal Core Bay Vitality Core next to it, saying, " The Sunset Bay Vitality Core requires monthly recording of the tides and the light of the crystal core." The Icefield Wolf came over and gently touched the crystal core with its paw. The golden light from the crystal core condensed into a small wave-shaped pattern in its paw, making the Xiao Yu and the boys laugh.
As the sun sets, Sunset Bay has regained its former vitality: golden tides wash over the mudflats, the evening songs of fishermen drift away on the sea breeze, and children chase and play on the mudflats, holding colorful seashells they have just collected. A Mu compiles today's patrol records into a " Bay Protection Log," with a symbiotic diagram of the Tide-Watching Reef and Sunset Crystal Core drawn on the title page; A Shi summarizes the tidal data and the recovery status of shellfish into a table, saying he will take it back to the Holy Land to compare with the water ripple data of the Clear Creek River to see the dissipation pattern of the aftershocks of Evil Energy.
On the return journey, the Sunset Crystal Core suddenly emitted a pale golden light, extending towards the " Mist Swamp " on the north side of the bay. Loran touched the crystal core and smiled, saying to the boys, "It seems it sensed the life fluctuations in the swamp. Next time we patrol, we can go and check out the swamp."
A Mu gripped the New Sprout Sword tightly, the Ice-Fire Entwining Pattern on the scabbard echoing the golden light of the crystal core. "Whether it's the swamp or anywhere else, we can protect it!" The boys' laughter echoed over the bay, and the golden figure of the Icefield Wolf ran at the forefront of the mudflats, as if scouting the way for the next protective journey.
As night deepened, A Mu placed the Bay Log into the "Guardian Bookshelf"—the shelf was already filled with six logs, each recording the growth and protection of the young people. From the ripples of the Clear Creek River and the flowers and plants on the edge of the abyss, to the Ironleaf Flower of the Elven Woods and the Fluorescent Butterfly of the Elf Forest, to the Windwhisper Stone of the grassland and the Tidal Crystal Core of the bay. Moonlight shone through the gaps in the tent onto the logs, reflecting off the ice and fire warning crystals and seashell specimens beside the bookshelf, as if telling a story: the path of protection has no end. Those small, beautiful moments hidden between land and sea, those small acts of perseverance held in the palm of one's hand, will eventually nurture a broader vitality and hope over time.
The story of " The Qilin of Falling Maple " continues to grow amidst the tides of the bay, the light of the crystal core, and the laughter of the young boy. There are no thrilling battles, only the purifying grass planted by hands, the protective ledger recorded by pen, and the fishermen's songs carried on the sea breeze—these ordinary warmths, like the golden tides of the Sunset Bay, are slow yet steadfast, gradually converging into a protective river that illuminates the continent, flowing gently towards the more distant Mist Swamp and the more expansive lands of life.