Eric walked along the north side of the valley. As he advanced, the surrounding scenery became increasingly ancient and mysterious. The strange flowers and plants that had been in bloom gradually became scarce, replaced by huge rocks. These rocks were of various shapes, some resembling sleeping giant beasts, while others were like the remains of ancient castles.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, a huge stone gate appeared in front of him. The stone gate was dozens of meters high and covered with densely engraved runes. The runes emitted a faint glow, as if telling an ancient story. Eric approached the stone gate and carefully observed these runes. He noticed that the arrangement of the runes seemed to follow a certain pattern, but he couldn't figure it out for the moment.
Eric began to search for clues around, hoping to find the key to solving the riddle of the runes. He discovered some faint patterns on the rocks near the stone gate. These patterns seemed to depict an ancient war. In the patterns, some people held staffs and released powerful magic, while others rode strange divine beasts and charged into battle. Eric guessed that these patterns might be related to the runes.
Just as Eric was deep in thought, he suddenly felt a powerful aura approaching. He turned around warily and saw a huge flying dragon circling down from the sky. The wings of the flying dragon spread out to be over a hundred meters long. Its body was covered with golden scales, shining dazzlingly in the sunlight. Its eyes were like two burning flames, full of majesty and domineering.
The flying dragon landed in front of Eric and let out a deafening dragon's roar: "Outsider, why are you trying to open this stone gate?" Eric replied calmly, "I just want to go home. The water monster told me that by solving the riddle of the runes on the stone gate, I can leave here."
The flying dragon examined Eric. After a moment, it said, "The place this stone gate leads to is full of dangers. Even I don't dare to set foot there easily. Are you sure you want to continue?" Eric nodded firmly, "No matter how many dangers lie ahead, I must go home."
The flying dragon was moved by Eric's courage. It said, "These runes are related to an ancient magic array, and the key lies in balancing the power of the elements. The crystal ball in your hand might be able to help you."
Eric suddenly understood. He held up the crystal ball in his hand and concentrated. The crystal ball sensed his will and glowed again. According to the intensity of the crystal ball's light, Eric tried to adjust the arrangement of the runes. He touched the corresponding runes on the stone gate in the order of the four elements: wind, fire, water, and earth.
As the runes were activated, the stone gate began to tremble slightly and emitted a dull rumbling sound. However, just as the stone gate was about to open, a powerful counter - force suddenly appeared. Eric was shaken back several meters by this force and fell heavily to the ground.
Seeing this, the flying dragon spat out a mouthful of golden flames. The flames landed on the stone gate and temporarily suppressed the counter - force. The flying dragon shouted, "Quick, now! You're still lacking one kind of elemental power, the mysterious power you obtained from the 'Fruit of Destiny'. Integrate it into the runes!"
Eric endured the pain in his body and stood up. He mobilized the power from the "Fruit of Destiny" in his body and injected it into the crystal ball. The crystal ball shone brightly. Eric stepped forward again and guided this combined power onto the runes of the stone gate.
Finally, the stone gate slowly opened, and a dazzling light shot out from inside. Eric looked at the light, filled with hope in his heart. After thanking the flying dragon, he resolutely stepped into the stone gate. At the end of that light, would it be the way home or another even more thrilling adventure?