102: An unusual event occurred during morning exercises at the academy; nurturing seedlings prevented them from being devoured by shadows; and new techniques were passed on to ensure the continuation of life.

Morning mist filled Shengxi Academy. Golden dew clung to the shengxi vine leaves. As the wind blew and the vines swayed, droplets fell into the seedling shed, nourishing the new sprouts.

Nian Xue pulled Little Color along as they ran toward the shed. Little Color’s crystal claws pulled back the curtain: "The new seedlings should be growing leaves today. Let's go see!"

A Qing followed behind, his dragon nose sniffing the air: "There's a faint, strange smell. It's not like Life-Extinguishing Qi, but it's a bit cold."

Inside the shed, they saw the leaf edges of several purification grass seedlings turning brown, looking as if they had been gnawed on. The stems were slightly curled.

The Spirit Plant Clan Seedling Cultivation Master frowned: "They were fine last night. Why are they suddenly like this? Something seems to be moving under the soil."

A Star Spirit Clan student held up a crystal stone, which glowed a faint gray: "It's a 'Seedling-Devouring Shadow.' They specifically gnaw on life-breathing seedlings. They're weaker than Life-Extinguishing Shadows."

Nian Xue squatted down and touched a stem, injecting Life-Breathing Qi from her palm: "The seedling is still alive! Let's find the shadow so it doesn't keep gnawing."

Little Color lay on the ground, his crystal fur pressed against the earth. Suddenly, he jumped up and started digging: "Here! It's moving under the soil, it's trying to escape!"

Clods of earth flipped over, and a gray shadow shaped like a cricket darted out, crawling toward another life-breathing flower seedling and gnawing it the moment it touched it.

"Don't let it touch the flower!" Nian Xue threw a Life-Breathing Light Orb. The orb hit the shadow, making it stagger, but it ducked into a crack in the ground.

A Qing sprayed Dragon Breath into the crack. His Dragon Breath carried Life-Breathing Qi, making the crack glow gold. The shadow was forced out, fleeing in a panic.

Clear Snow walked into the shed, her ice and snow merging with Life-Breathing Qi to form a small net: "Use the net to trap it! This shadow is afraid of the mixture of Life-Breathing Qi and ice."

The net fell onto the shadow. It struggled inside the net as the gray energy faded, eventually dissipating into a wisp of smoke. The brown marks on the seedlings vanished.

Lin Chen arrived afterward and looked at the soil: "Seedling-Devouring Shadows grow in places where Life-Breathing Qi is insufficient. The Qi in this shed needs to be replenished."

A Metal Clan warrior brought over a Life-Breathing Lamp. The lamp glowed gold as he hung it from the roof: "This lamp can disperse Life-Breathing Qi. It's warmer than the previous shed."

The Spirit Plant Clan Seedling Cultivation Master scattered a handful of 'seedling protection seeds': "When these grow, they become seedling protection grass. They can block Seedling-Devouring Shadows and nourish the seedlings."

Nian Xue helped scatter the seeds while Little Color used his crystal claws to bury them: "We'll plant lots of seedling protection grass so the shadows can never come back."

During the morning 'Life-Breathing Technique Class,' Nian Xue taught the students the 'Seedling Protection Qi' technique: "Gather your Qi at your fingertips and lightly tap the tip of the seedling. It will make the seedling strong."

Little Color jumped onto the podium, his crystal fur dispersing Qi as he tapped a weak seedling. The seedling instantly straightened up and its leaves turned golden, making the students gasp in surprise.

A small Metal Clan student was struggling; his Qi kept dissipating. A Qing leaned over and blew Dragon Breath toward his hand: "Follow my Qi."

The student followed the Dragon Breath to gather his Qi and finally succeeded in tapping the seedling. The leaves brightened, and he jumped up happily, thanking A Qing.

In the afternoon, the Dao Source Clan Leader came to the academy, bringing new 'life sustenance bells': "Hang these bells by the shed. They will ring if a shadow comes, and they can also disperse Qi."

The golden bells were hung on the corners of the shed. When the wind blew, they rang crisply. The Life-Breathing Qi in the shed grew thicker, and the seedlings swayed as if they were dancing along.

Nian Xue rang a bell: "It sounds so nice! From now on, when we hear the bells, we'll know a shadow has come."

Little Color jumped up to touch a bell, making it ring even more cheerfully. He swung from the bell rope with his crystal claws, making all the students laugh.

In the evening, as school ended, the students all went to the shed to see the newly planted seedling protection grass. Some even squatted down to gently touch the sprouts.

A young Sea Spirit Clan student said: "I want to take seedling protection seeds back to the Sea Spirit Realm and plant them in the gardens of the Water Clan."

Nian Xue nodded: "That's a great idea! That way, the flowers there won't be gnawed by shadows either. We are all Seedling Protectors."

After the students left, Lin Chen and Clear Snow set up a 'Life-Breathing Gathering Formation' on the academy's open ground. The formation patterns looked like flower petals and glowed gold.

"This formation can gather the surrounding Life-Breathing Qi. The seedlings and grass in the academy will grow better, and fewer anomalous shadows will appear," Lin Chen said.

Clear Snow used her ice spear to draw a circle around the formation, the ice ring glowing gold: "The ice ring can block cold air, making the formation's Qi purer and preventing it from dissipating."

Nian Xue, Little Color, and A Qing also came to help. Nian Xue scattered seedling protection seeds around the edge, Little Color used his crystal fur to sweep the formation lines, and A Qing blew Dragon Breath into the formation.

When the formation activated, a golden light shone. The shengxi vines in the academy grew faster, winding up to the roofs of the school buildings as their flowers bloomed in profusion.

At night, the academy lights stayed on, and the life sustenance bells chimed softly in the wind. The seedlings in the shed glowed gold, seemingly growing in peace.

Nian Xue lay on A Qing's back with Little Color curled in her arms, listening to the bells: "A Qing, do you think the academy will have many students in the future?"

A Qing flicked his tail: "Definitely! In the future, our academy will be huge, with many sheds full of life-breathing grass and purification grass."

Lin Chen and Clear Snow walked over and sat beside them, the imprints on their palms glowing gold in resonance with the formation's light.

"When there are more students, we'll teach them to go to each clan to build small academies, so every realm has Seedling Protectors," Clear Snow said.

Lin Chen nodded: "The life of the myriad realms depends on generations of guardians. This academy is the starting point of that protection."

The night wind blew, carrying the fragrance of shengxi vine flowers throughout the academy. The sound of the life sustenance bells grew softer, as if telling a story of guardianship.

Nian Xue gazed at the seedlings in the shed and whispered: "I want to be the best Seedling Protector, so that all the seedlings grow well and don't get gnawed by shadows."

Little Color nuzzled her face as if in agreement. A Qing covered them with his dragon wings; it was warm and cozy, and they had a dreamless night.

The next morning, the seedling protection grass in the shed had already sprouted. The golden tips pushed through the soil—a new layer of strength for their protection.