Kunming, the city of eternal spring, was breathtakingly beautiful. Fields of flowers blended with green mountains, creating a stunning landscape. In the distance, lush hills surrounded the vast highland plains, bathed in soft morning sunlight filtering through light mist.

Noah and Xiaolong were riding through rolling hills in a small car, heading toward their next destination—Stone Forest in Yunnan.

“This place is unbelievably beautiful,” Noah said, gazing out at the ever-changing scenery.

Xiaolong, excited, stuck his head out of the window, ears perked up, and tail wagging gently. He seemed eager to explore the mysterious Stone Forest.

When they arrived at the Stone Forest, the bright sunlight illuminated towering gray-white rock formations, making them shine brilliantly. These massive stones stood like a sleeping forest of stone trees, silent and ancient, shaped by centuries of wind and time.

Walking along the narrow paths between the stones, Noah marveled at the scene. The towering rocks were arranged like an ancient castle carved by nature.

“This is the Stone Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s like a miracle carved by nature!” Noah whispered to himself.

Xiaolong suddenly stopped in front of a jagged rock, sniffing the air cautiously. His ears shot up, and his alert gaze fixed on a direction deep within the Stone Forest. Without warning, he darted off, disappearing into the maze of stones.

Xiaolong ran back and forth through the towering stones, sniffing the ground, but he didn’t seem to find anything right away. Meanwhile, Noah studied the map he was holding, his brows furrowed.

“This terrain is so complicated, and the marked location doesn’t match perfectly with reality,” he muttered to himself.

Suddenly, Xiaolong stopped in front of a giant stone and wagged his tail while sniffing the ground. He barked low and turned to look at Noah.

“Wait, this spot looks like it’s been disturbed before,” Noah said as he crouched down. Carefully, he brushed away the loose soil and revealed a moss-covered stone beneath it. He shone his flashlight on the surface, faintly revealing symbols carved into it.

“This stone might hide some sort of mechanism!” Noah said, his excitement growing. He tried pushing the stone, but it wouldn’t budge.

Xiaolong, still searching nearby, dug at the ground and uncovered a hidden pull ring buried in the soil. Noah grabbed the ring and pulled hard. The stone rumbled and slowly shifted aside, revealing an ancient stone tablet covered in Yi symbols and Kun Trigram markings.

Noah quickly approached the tablet, brushing off the dirt. His breath caught as he recognized the Kun Trigram (☷) symbol and ancient Yi designs representing the power of the earth.

“This must be the clue we’re looking for,” he said, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

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At the base of the tablet were several finely carved but broken stone pieces, each engraved with mysterious Yi symbols. Noah realized they were fragments of a puzzle that needed to be solved to activate the stone tablet.

He examined the stone pieces carefully, noting their intricate carvings and the grooves where they might fit together.

“Xiaolong, help me find the remaining pieces!” he called out.

Xiaolong barked in response and darted off, skillfully leaping onto nearby rocks. His sharp nose quickly led him to more buried fragments. With a happy bark, he pointed Noah toward the hidden pieces.

“Good job, Xiaolong!” Noah praised as he hurried to collect the pieces and began fitting them into the tablet’s grooves.

Noah worked carefully, his hands placing each stone fragment with precision. The cold, rough surface of the stones seemed to hum faintly under his touch.

As he inserted the final piece, the tablet emitted a low, resonating rumble. It felt like the earth itself was awakening.

In the center of the tablet, a thick slab of rock engraved with the Kun Trigram began to rise. The fragment glowed faintly with a warm, earthy yellow light, as if it were alive, perfectly matching the surrounding stone walls.

“We did it, Xiaolong!” Noah exclaimed, carefully placing the glowing fragment into his backpack.

But their victory was short-lived. The sound of hurried footsteps and the sharp clink of metal echoed through the Stone Forest.

A group of men dressed in black appeared from the shadows. Their leader, a man with cold eyes and a cruel smile, stepped forward.

“Well done, kid. Now hand over the fragment, and we might let you live,” the leader sneered.

The men spread out to block exits and began setting traps. Chains clanged as they locked paths, sealing Noah and Xiaolong inside.

Noah fought back fiercely. When one attacker lunged at him with a knife, he dodged quickly and struck the man’s wrist, disarming him. Meanwhile, Xiaolong leaped onto another attacker, biting his pant leg and yanking him down.

But the black-clad men were prepared. One of them suddenly pulled out a small detonator, his finger hovering over the button.

“This is your end, kid,” he hissed, pressing the button.

A sharp beep filled the air as a timer on the detonator lit up. A red warning light blinked rapidly, signaling the countdown had begun.

“The timer is running! You’ll kill everyone here!” Noah shouted angrily.

The leader shrugged coldly. “I don’t care. As long as the mission is done, nothing else matters.”

Just as despair began to set in, the distant sound of sirens broke through the tension. The leader’s smug expression faltered as police vehicles screeched to a halt at the edge of the forest.

“This is the Yunnan police! Drop your weapons and raise your hands!”

Officers in full tactical gear swarmed the area, their shields and rifles at the ready.

“Priority one: protect the civilians and disable the bomb!” the commanding officer barked.

One officer expertly kicked the detonator away, picking it up and carefully deactivating the timer with steady hands.

The black-clad men tried to flee, but the officers quickly surrounded them. Shields blocked their escape, and tasers brought down the most aggressive fighters. The leader, still clutching a knife, was finally subdued by a stun gun and fell to the ground in defeat.

“Take them all in for questioning!” the officer ordered, his voice firm.

Noah let out a deep breath, exhaustion washing over him. He approached the lead officer and bowed slightly.

“Thank you. If you hadn’t come, we might not have survived.”

The officer nodded with a small smile. “You were brave, but be careful. These people are dangerous, and your journey isn’t over yet.”

Xiaolong wagged his tail and circled the officer, as if to thank him in his own way.

As the sun set, golden light bathed the towering stones of the Stone Forest. Noah carefully secured the Kun Trigram fragment in his backpack, his expression determined.

“More challenges are waiting for us ahead, Xiaolong,” he said. Together, they turned toward the distant mountains, ready to face whatever lay ahead.