The flame threads spread along the veins of the molten lava, and when they encountered the gray mist formed by Evil Energy, they turned into tiny sparks that gradually enveloped the gray mist. The cooling layer of ice mist continued to release coolness, allowing the sparks enveloping the Evil Energy to slowly cool down and turn into solid slag with black threads, which flowed along the channel into the "purification pit" that A Ya had dug in advance.
" A Ya! Time to Molten Flame Grass!" A Mu called out to those behind him. A Ya immediately grabbed the Molten Flame Grass and followed the Fire Dwellers boy A Yan, into the volcanic rock area next to the purification pit. A Yan skillfully used a stone shovel to carve shallow pits in the volcanic rock and sprinkled some ground volcanic ash into them. "The chieftain said that volcanic ash can help the Molten Flame Grass take root faster and can also lock in the Evil Energy along with the grass's roots, preventing it from seeping back into the lava." A Ya then followed the " High-Temperature Symbiosis Method " taught by Liya, Molten Flame Grass on the volcanic ash and pouring diluted Soul-Purifying Water over them ( Lei Lin had already prepared the Soul-Purifying Water into a "heat-resistant liquid")—as soon as the seeds touched the water, tiny red sprouts emerged, and the roots quickly penetrated the crevices of the volcanic rock. When the leaves unfolded, they shone with a golden-red light similar to that of lava, and the Evil Energy particles in the air seemed to be attracted by a magnet, slowly gathering towards the grass leaves.
A Shi squatted beside the geothermal spring, his notebook filled with rapid notes. "At 3:40 AM, the Ice and Fire Purification was activated, and the geothermal spring temperature dropped by 20%; at 5:40 AM, the Molten Flame Grass + Volcanic Ash Symbiotic Zone took shape, and the Magma Evil Marks receded by 30%; at 1:15 AM, the Heat-resistant Ferns began to regain their verdant green, and the Lava Rice Ears shone with luster!" He also asked A Yan to help measure the temperature changes of the geothermal spring and drew a distribution map of the geothermal spring and the lava pool on the notebook, marking " The Evil Energy is most concentrated on the east side of the lava pool, which needs to be purified more thoroughly"—that was what A Yan said, as the lava ash fog on the east side was the most obvious after each volcanic activity.
Just as A Mu was purifying the eastern side of the lava pool, a slight tremor suddenly came from the ground— the Evil Energy deep within the lava pool suddenly erupted, baking fine cracks into the cooling layer that A Mu had condensed. The Evil Energy slag that had just been absorbed began to spread towards the geothermal spring again! A Mu gripped the hilt of his sword in a panic, suddenly remembering what the Fire Dwellers had said about "the power of the volcanic core." He immediately adjusted the frequency of his flame power, causing the Ice-Fire Entwining Pattern on the New Sprout Sword to resonate with the patterns on the volcanic rock—the volcanic rock seemed to be awakened, its surface emitting a faint golden-red light, forming a "rock shield barrier" around the purification pit, temporarily blocking the spread of the Evil Energy slag.
"Use the ' Flameheart Stone ' from the volcano as a catalyst!" The Fire Dwellers chieftain approached, leaning on his lava staff, holding a stone that gleamed crimson. "This is the Flameheart Stone, mined from the core of a volcano. It can neutralize the scorching heat of Evil Energy. Mix its power into the forces of ice and fire, and inject it into the magma in accordance with the frequency of the fire language, and you can guide away the deep-seated Evil Energy."
A Mu immediately took the Flameheart Stone and fused it with the power of ice and fire—the power of fire was tinged with the crimson light of the Flameheart Stone, while the power of ice mist shimmered with a pale blue cooling light. The two powers intertwined to form a stream of light of the same origin as the magma, which flowed into the magma pool along with the resonance of the Fire Language. The tremors on the ground gradually subsided, and the gray mist in the magma pool seemed to be drawn to the surface by the stream of light, slowly rising to the surface and being firmly absorbed by the leaves of the Molten Flame Grass; the temperature of the geothermal spring returned to normal, the grayish-yellow heat-resistant ferns regained their vitality, and the magma rice seedlings straightened their backs, turning a healthy green.
"Look at the center of the lava pool!" A Yan suddenly pointed in the direction of the lava pool. Everyone looked up and saw a crystal core glowing red embedded in the rock pillar in the center of the lava pool—half of the crystal core was encased in lava, and its surface was wrapped with very faint black threads; it was indeed a " Molten Fire Crystal "! The light of the crystal core echoed the golden-red light of the lava, clearly indicating that it was the life core of the volcano, but it was bound by the Magma Evil Marks, which prevented it from playing a role in stabilizing the volcanic ecosystem.
"This is the 'heart of the volcano'!" Loran squatted by the lava pool, his fingertips glowing with a purifying light. "Activating it will completely stabilize the Evil Energy in the lava, allowing the geothermal springs and heat-resistant plants to regain their former vitality— A Mu, would you like to give it a try?"
A Mu nodded, placing the New Sprout Sword on a rock pillar beside the lava pool. Instead of immediately injecting power, he first allowed the power of ice and fire to resonate with the volcanic rock and lava. Then, he slowly injected the light stream mixed with the power of the Flameheart Stone into the Molten Fire Crystal. The crimson light of the crystal core instantly surged, and the black threads on its surface, like ice and snow melted by the lava, quickly receded. The crimson light spread along the veins of the lava, covering the entire heart of Sunset Volcano.
"The geothermal spring has become clear! The lava rice is alive!" the Fire Dwellers suddenly cheered. Everyone looked up and saw that the geothermal spring, which had been shrouded in gray mist, had returned to its clear state, and the spring water was at a suitable temperature when it seeped out; the lava in the lava pool shone with a pure golden-red light, and there was no longer any gray mist; the heat-resistant ferns grew lush and green, and the lava rice ears were full and heavy, with even Fire Plume Bird landing on the rice ears and chirping happily.
The Fire Dwellers emerged from their rock dwellings, carrying fragrant "magma cakes" and sweet "volcanic fruit drinks." The chieftain handed a bowl of warm volcanic fruit drink to the boys, smiling as he said, "This is made with wild fruits from deep within the volcano; it helps to cut through the richness. Thank you for bringing the volcano back to life!"
A Ya took out her paintbrush and knelt down by the lava pool to sketch—she deliberately included the scene of lava reflecting the sunset, the golden-red light of Molten Flame Grass, and the scene of Fire Dwellers harvesting lava rice in her drawing. She also marked next to the Molten Fire Crystal, "The life core of Sunset Volcano, requires monthly monitoring of geothermal spring temperature and lava Evil Energy concentration." The Icefield Wolf came over and gently touched the volcanic rock with its paw. The crimson light of the Molten Fire Crystal condensed into a small flame-shaped pattern in its paw, making A Yan and the boys laugh.
As the sun set, the Sunset Volcano was exceptionally brilliant, with golden-red lava reflecting the evening sky. The light bands of Molten Flame Grass spread around the volcanic rocks, and the aroma of food wafted from the rock dwellings of the Fire Dwellers. A Mu compiled today's patrol records into a "Volcano Guardian Log," with a symbiotic diagram of Molten Fire Crystal and lava pools drawn on the title page. A Shi, on the other hand, compiled data on the recovery of geothermal springs and the survival rate of Molten Flame Grass into a table, saying he would take it back to the sacred land to compare with the marine ecological data of the archipelago and study the differences in the dissipation of Evil Energy under high temperatures and marine environments.
On the return journey, the Molten Fire Crystal suddenly emitted a crimson light, extending towards the " Moonlight Wetland " on the west side of the volcano. Loran touched the crystal core (he had temporarily protected it with a fire barrier for easy research back at the volcano) and smiled at the boys, saying, "It seems it sensed the life force fluctuations of the wetlands. Next time we patrol, we can go and check out the Moonlight Wetland."
A Mu gripped the New Sprout Sword tightly, the Ice-Fire Entwining Pattern on the scabbard echoing the crimson light of the Molten Fire Crystal: "Whether it's the wetlands or somewhere else, we can find a way to protect the environment that suits us!" The boys' laughter echoed above the volcano, and the golden figure of the Icefield Wolf ran across the volcanic rocks, a molten Molten Flame Grass glowing with golden-red light in its mouth, as if collecting a souvenir for the next protective journey.
As night deepened, A Mu placed the volcano logbook into the "Guardian Bookshelf"—eleven logbooks already filled the shelf. From the water veins of the Clear Creek River and the flowers and plants on the edge of the abyss, to the Ironleaf Flower and the Fluorescent Butterfly of the Elven Woods, to the Windwhisper Stone of the grasslands, the Tidal Crystal Core Marshheart Crystal of the swamps, the Fallen Star Crystal of the woodlands, the Icefield Crystal of the ice plains, the Tidal Crystal of the archipelago, and the Molten Fire Crystal of the volcanoes, each one was filled with the growth and protection of the young people. Moonlight shone through the gaps in the tent onto the logbooks, reflecting the ice and fire warning crystals and the Molten Flame Grass specimens beside the bookshelf, as if telling a story: the path of protection has no end. Those small, beautiful things hidden in volcanoes, oceans, and ice plains, and the wisdom of protection that constantly explores to adapt to extreme environments, will eventually nurture a more complete and diverse picture of the continent's vitality over time.
The story of " The Qilin of Falling Maple " continues to grow amidst the volcanic glow, the light of the crystal core, and the laughter of youth. There are no thrilling battles, only the molten Molten Flame Grass planted by hands, the high-temperature records written with pen, and the resonant fire language transmitted from the volcano—these ordinary acts of protection, like the lava of the Sunset Volcano, are fiery yet gentle, slowly converging into a protective river that illuminates the continent, flowing gently towards the more distant Moonlight Wetland and more tranquil ecological lands.