The dull thud of the stone gate opening echoed through the empty valley, carrying an ancient and mysterious aura. A chilling wind, carrying the smell of decay, rushed out from inside, brushing against Ning Yu and Mu Xue's faces, causing them to shiver involuntarily. The two exchanged a glance, both seeing wariness in each other's eyes.

"Wait." Ning Yu suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on an inconspicuous symbol on the inner wall of the stone gate. The symbol resembled some kind of ancient script, complex and mysterious, emitting a faint glow.

Just moments ago, at the critical moment, Ning Yu managed to piece the broken stone fragments back together with the intact ones, triggering some kind of mechanism that opened the stone door. Now that the stone door is open and the giant is temporarily kept outside, Ning Yu and Mu Xue finally have time to carefully examine this stone door that has caused them so much trouble.

They retreated to the safe area outside the stone gate, examining once more the intact stone block embedded in the groove. Mu Xue's slender fingers gently traced the stone walls surrounding the gate, feeling its cold texture. "Strange, the way this stone gate opens is so complicated, is it merely to stop the giants?"

Ning Yu also fell into deep thought. He squatted down and carefully observed the situation around the stone. "Look," Mu Xue pointed to some almost imperceptible small holes around the stone, "these holes seem to have appeared after the stone was placed into the groove."

Ning Yu looked in the direction Mu Xue was pointing and indeed saw some tiny holes distributed around the grooves, easily overlooked if not carefully observed. "These small holes... seem to be some kind of mechanism," Ning Yu mused.

Mu Xue nodded and analyzed, "I speculate that the real way to open this stone door may not be as simple as just putting in this stone. Perhaps it also requires putting different things into these small holes in a specific order."

Ning Yu nodded in agreement. The symbols on the previous rubble had become blurred, only those on the intact stones were clearly visible. Did this mean that these symbols were the key to opening the stone door? And did those small holes correspond to other symbols?

Thinking of this, Ning Yu's gaze fell once again on the symbol on the inner wall of the stone gate. He felt that this symbol was somehow connected to the symbol on the stone earlier. "This symbol..." Ning Yu murmured to himself, trying to memorize its shape and characteristics.

Mu Xue also noticed Ning Yu's actions. She stepped forward and carefully examined the symbol. "It looks very ancient, like some kind of lost script."

Ning Yu stood up, his gaze resolute. "We need to find other clues." He began to search the surroundings carefully, hoping to find items related to the stone gate mechanism. The valley was filled with damp air, and all sorts of strange plants grew on the stone walls. Ning Yu parted the dense vines and, in a hidden corner, found a small stick engraved with symbols… "This…" Ning Yu picked up the stick, his voice tinged with barely suppressed excitement.

Ning Yu carefully removed the small stick from the vines and examined it closely. The stick was about the length of a palm, and its material seemed to be some kind of unknown bone, cool to the touch. The stick was covered with strange symbols, strikingly similar to those on the inner wall of the stone gate and on the stones, only more intricate, like some kind of code.

"Look!" Ning Yu excitedly handed the stick to Mu Xue. "The symbols on this are very similar to those on the stone gate and the stones!"

Mu Xue took the stick and carefully examined the patterns on it, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "It is indeed very similar, but there are differences... Look, the way these symbols are arranged seems to contain some kind of pattern."

The two huddled together, studying the symbols on the stick. The cold wind howled outside the stone gate, swirling up fallen leaves and making a rustling sound, adding to the tense atmosphere.

"Could it be... that this little stick is the key to open the stone door?" Mu Xue boldly guessed.

Ning Yu nodded. "Very likely! Look at these small holes, they are different sizes and shapes. Perhaps the different symbols on this stick correspond to different holes."

Mu Xue immediately went to the stone door and tried to insert the stick into one of the small holes. However, the stick didn't move at all, seemingly not fitting properly. She tried the other holes, but the result was the same.

“No,” Mu Xue shook her head, “it won’t go in.”

Just then, a deep roar came from afar, and the ground trembled slightly. Startled, the two looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the giants, having seemingly recovered from the intimidation of the stones, were slowly approaching the stone gate with heavy steps!

"Oh no, they're coming again!" Mu Xue's expression changed.

Ning Yu also felt a little nervous, but he forced himself to calm down. "Don't panic, we still have time!"

He grabbed Mu Xue and shielded her behind him, while his eyes quickly scanned the area around the stone gate, looking for usable terrain or objects.

"We need to hurry!" Ning Yu said in a deep voice, "There must be other mechanisms in this stone door!"

Mu Xue understood the urgency of the situation. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and focused her attention back on the stone door. She slowly walked around the stone door, carefully searching every corner, hoping to find new clues.

Ning Yu continued examining the small stick in his hand, trying to find its connection to the stone gate. He turned the stick over and over, and suddenly his gaze fell on the end of the stick, where there was a small protrusion, shaped like a... button?

A thought struck him, and he tentatively pressed the protrusion. With a soft "click," a thin metal needle suddenly popped out from the end of the stick.

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