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Mark carefully walked around the edge of the pool to find a way down, and finally found a narrow path washed out by the water.

"Albert, wait for me up there, I'll go down and take a look." Mark said, pointing to the path. Albert made a low response, as if to express his agreement, and the thick branches swayed slightly, and a few leaves fell into the pool, creating ripples.

Mark walked slowly down the path, holding the slippery rock wall with his hands from time to time to keep his balance. The gravel and the soil on both sides of the path were mixed together, and it was soft to step on, with a hint of dampness and coolness. He was very careful with every step, for fear of accidentally slipping.

At the bottom of the pool, the light was much darker than above, and the air was more humid. The splashing water from the waterfall formed a thin layer of mist, which permeated around the pool, making the surrounding scenery shrouded in a hazy halo. The bottom of the pool was covered with smooth pebbles of different sizes and shapes, which looked particularly round under the scouring of the water.

After Mark safely reached the bottom of the pool, he looked up at Albert, who was standing above the waterfall like a huge green barrier.

Albert lowered some branches into the pool to absorb water, making a satisfying rustling sound, and the rest of the branches carefully surrounded themselves, as if protecting themselves. The water droplets on the branches dripped down, stirring up circles of ripples on the surface of the pool, like throwing crystal clear pearls.

Mark looked around and found some strange blue flowers growing at the bottom of the pool. These flowers were only the size of a thumb, and the petals were as thin as cicada wings. They swayed gently in the breeze, like blue elves dancing. He picked one out of curiosity, put it on the tip of his nose and sniffed it gently, and found that the flower exuded a faint fragrance, refreshing. A cool fragrance penetrated into his nostrils, making him feel refreshed. He handed the flower to Albert's drooping branch.

Albert's branch curled gently, as if smelling the fragrance of the flower. The end of the branch trembled slightly, as if expressing some kind of joy. Mark looked at Albert with a smile on his face.

Suddenly, Mark heard a strange sound coming from the depths of the pool. "Gululu..." The sound was low and strange, as if something was rolling under the water. He vigilantly clenched the blue flower in his hand and stared at the water surface. The pebbles at the bottom of the pool swayed slightly due to the fluctuations of the water flow. On the water surface, ripples spread out, breaking the originally calm water surface, as if something was about to break out of the water.

Mark held his breath, his heartbeat accelerated, and an inexplicable sense of uneasiness surged in his heart. He looked around vigilantly, trying to find the source of the strange sound.

"Albert, be careful!" Mark shouted to Albert above, his voice trembling slightly because of nervousness. Albert made a low response, like the whisper of an ancient tree. The huge tree crown swayed gently, and countless branches stretched out to the water like tentacles, with the branches at the end gently tapping on the water surface, ready to fight. The ripples on the water surface became more and more violent, and the strange noises in the depths of the pool became clearer and clearer. The gurgling sound gradually became louder, accompanied by a strange friction sound.

The pebbles at the bottom of the pool collided with each other due to the fluctuations of the water flow, making a crisp collision sound. Mark held the blue flower tightly in one hand and supported the slippery rock wall with the other hand. He leaned back slightly, ready to retreat at any time. He squinted his eyes and carefully observed the water surface, with a layer of fine beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. The water in the pool became turbid. The originally clear water became turbid at this moment, and the visibility became lower and lower.

A huge black shadow slowly emerged from the depths of the pool. The outline of the black shadow became clearer and clearer, and a huge body could be vaguely seen.

Mark's heart was beating violently, and he felt a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. "What is it?" Mark whispered to himself, with a hint of fear in his voice.

Albert's branches danced quickly on the water, stirring up layers of water. Some branches hung down beside Mark, as if signaling him to grab the branches. Mark looked up at Albert, then looked at the increasingly clear black shadow under the water, and hesitated.

"Splash!" With a loud noise, a huge creature suddenly jumped out of the water. It has a flat body similar to that of a fish, covered with thick scales, and the scales reflect a metallic luster in the dim light. It opened its huge mouth, revealing sharp teeth, and let out a deafening roar. Water splashed everywhere, soaking Mark.

Mark took a step back in fear, and the blue flower in his hand fell to the ground. He stared at the behemoth in front of him with wide eyes, and froze in place for a while.

Albert let out a sharp cry, and the huge branches whipped the giant beast in the water like a whip. The branches hit the beast hard with the whistling sound of the wind, making a dull impact.

The beast twisted its body in pain and roared angrily. It swung its huge tail, raising huge waves, and the water in the pool was boiling and rolling endlessly. On the rock walls around the pool, gravel kept rolling down, making crackling sounds.

Mark was hit by the huge waves and almost fell. He quickly grabbed a branch hanging from Albert to stabilize his body. He took a deep breath, grabbed the branch, and climbed up hard. Albert's branch was very powerful, and it steadily supported Mark's body and moved upward.

The beast seemed to be angry, and it opened its mouth again and sprayed a stream of black liquid in the direction of Mark. The liquid exuded a pungent fishy smell, drew an arc in the air, and rushed straight to Mark.

Albert quickly retracted some branches and protected Mark behind him. The branches intertwined into a shield, blocking the black liquid. The liquid fell on the branches, making a sizzling corrosion sound and emitting a puff of white smoke.