Rise of the Otherworld.

Everyone gathered tightly around the multicolored stone, their gaze drawn to it as if by a magnet, fixed intently on the faintly visible runes, as if they could peer directly into the secrets hidden within. The mysterious man, the most in-depth expert on runes among the group, gently lifted the stone with a solemn expression and slowly brought it before his eyes, his eyes almost touching the surface as he scrutinized it with such intense concentration that it seemed as if everything around him had ceased to exist. His eyes betrayed deep thought, as if he were engraving every detail and trace of the runes into the depths of his soul.

"The arrangement of these runes may seem chaotic, like a tangled mess, but in reality, they must have some underlying logic." The mysterious man observed intently as he spoke slowly, his voice low and steady, as if emanating from a deep, ancient well. "While they bear similarities to the runes we've seen before, they differ dramatically in subtle ways. These differences may hold the key to unlocking the mystery."

Zhang Hao was extremely anxious and asked impatiently, "Can we find any clues about the ruins and the valley from these runes? We are running out of time and must figure this out as soon as possible." His eyes revealed anxiety and expectation, and his hands clenched unconsciously, as if as long as the mysterious man gave an affirmative answer, he could immediately solve all the puzzles.

The mysterious man frowned slightly, his expression growing more serious as he fell into deep thought. After a moment, he spoke slowly, a hint of uncertainty in his tone: "I can't be sure yet, but I have a strong feeling that these runes seem to be guiding us to a specific place. This place may be closely related to the secrets of the ruins and the valley."

Ling Yu also came over, looked at the runes, and said with a puzzled look on his face: "But we don't recognize these runes at all. There are only a few strange symbols. How can we know where it points to? This is like looking for a needle in a haystack." He scratched his head, his eyes full of confusion.

The woman then stood up, her brows slightly furrowed. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Perhaps we can try starting from the runes we saw in the ruins and buildings before, and try to find the intricate connections between them. Maybe we can find a way to crack it. After all, these runes cannot be completely unrelated." Her voice was crisp and pleasant, like a clear mountain spring, bringing a glimmer of hope to everyone in this tense atmosphere.

After hearing this, the old man slowly nodded in agreement: "That's right, we can carefully recall the runes we saw before and conduct a detailed comparative analysis. Perhaps in the process of unraveling the mystery, we can discover the secret." His eyes were wise and calm, as if he had seen the dawn of cracking the runes.

Everyone began racking their brains to recall the runes they had seen in the ruins and buildings. They closed their eyes and tried to picture the runes in their minds, describing their general shapes and features bit by bit. The mysterious man listened intently as he used his spiritual power to trace the runes on the ground. His spiritual power was like a magical paintbrush, leaving bright traces on the ground. Soon, the ground was covered with all kinds of bizarre runic patterns, like a mysterious scroll.

The mysterious man concentrated intently, comparing the runes on the multicolored stone with those on the ground. Sometimes his brow furrowed, his facial muscles twitching slightly, as if he'd encountered an insurmountable problem; sometimes, a look of deep thought appeared, a glimmer in his eyes, as if he had grasped a crucial clue. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if seeing a ray of light in the darkness. He excitedly pointed at several of the runes and said, "Look, these runes appear in the ruins before, and their positions are relatively fixed. There, they seem to represent directions." His voice was filled with excitement, as if he had discovered a new world.

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, nodding in agreement. Zhang Hao excitedly said, "If we follow this logic, then the runes on this stone also indicate the direction? Perhaps this is the key clue we've been looking for." His eyes were filled with anticipation, as if he could already see the door to the truth slowly opening.

The mysterious man carefully examined the runes on the stone again, his eyes filled with determination and perseverance. After a moment, he said confidently, "It's very likely. Based on my speculation, these runes seem to point to the depths of the valley. There, perhaps, lies the answer we seek."

Ling Yu scratched his head in confusion and said, "Deep in the valley? We walked all the way in the valley before, carefully observing every corner, but we didn't find any special place leading to deeper places. Could it be that we missed some important clues?" His eyes were full of confusion.

The old man slowly said: "Perhaps we have overlooked some extremely subtle details, or perhaps specific conditions need to be met to find the way into the depths of the valley. Don't all the mysterious events we encountered along the way imply that this place is unusual?" His words were like a heavy hammer, waking everyone up and making everyone realize that they cannot use conventional thinking to look at this mysterious valley.

Zhang Hao clenched his fists and said with a firm look in his eyes: "No matter what, since we have come this far, we must go deep into the valley to have a look. Even if the road ahead is full of unknown dangers, maybe we can find the answer to all the mysteries there. We can't give up halfway." His voice was firm and powerful, echoing in everyone's ears like a bell, arousing everyone's inner fighting spirit.

Everyone agreed, their eyes filled with determination. They quickly packed their bags and carefully carried the multicolored stone, heading deeper into the valley. Along the way, their eyes were as sharp as hawks, carefully observing every blade of grass, every brick, every tile, trying to find a clue to the depths of the valley. However, the valley remained serene and peaceful, like a sleeping giant, with no sign of abnormality, as if deliberately testing everyone's patience.

Just as everyone was feeling lost and even beginning to doubt their own judgment, Zhang Hao's vision suddenly lit up. He spotted a strange mark on a large tree ahead. The mark was deeply engraved on the trunk, still clearly visible despite the passage of time. The shape of the mark was strikingly similar to a rune on the multicolored stone, like a pair of long-lost twin brothers...