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The old man leaned on a wooden stick, walked slowly but steadily, and went deep into the cave. The firelight cast a long shadow behind him, swaying on the uneven rock wall. Albert followed closely behind, his eyes sweeping the surrounding environment from time to time. The cave was dark and damp, and a smell of corruption filled the air, making him frown uncomfortably.

The old man led Mark and Albert to a secret room deep in the cave. The entrance to the secret room was hidden behind a huge rock, and it was difficult to find without careful observation. The old man put his hand on the rock and pushed it gently. The rock slowly moved away, revealing an entrance that only allowed one person to pass through.

"This is it." The old man said, and walked in first.

Mark and Albert followed closely and entered the secret room. In the center of the secret room was an ancient stone platform, which was engraved with mysterious runes. These runes emitted a faint fluorescence, which was particularly eye-catching in the dim secret room. The walls around the stone platform were also engraved with similar runes. These runes were arranged in an orderly manner, forming a complex pattern, as if containing some mysterious power. An ancient and mysterious atmosphere permeated the secret room, making people feel solemn and dignified.

Albert looked around and couldn't help but sigh: "This is an improved fusion array."

The old man walked to the stone platform and began to chant the ancient spell. His voice was low and deep, like an ancient ballad, echoing in the secret room. As the spell was chanted, the runes on the stone platform emitted a dazzling light, illuminating the entire secret room. The light became stronger and stronger, and the runes also rotated with it, forming a huge vortex, emitting powerful energy fluctuations, making Mark and Albert feel dizzy.

"Mark, you go in with the gems." The old man said

Mark walked into the vortex with twelve gems. The gems seemed to be pulled by some kind of power, began to resonate, and made a buzzing sound. The buzzing sound became louder and louder, shaking the entire secret room slightly. The light emitted by the gems became stronger and stronger, and finally gathered into a beam of light that shot up into the sky, penetrated the top of the cave, and illuminated the entire valley.

After the strong light, everything returned to calm. The runes on the stone platform stopped rotating, and the light gradually dissipated. The twelve gems turned into beams of light and were absorbed by Mark. Mark's whole body exuded powerful energy fluctuations.

Albert walked to Mark's side, and he could also feel this powerful energy fluctuation, which made the remaining tree man power in his body active. "This power... is incredible, it has reached the peak fluctuation of the holy stone." He exclaimed, with excitement in his eyes.

"Now, you can leave." The old man said slowly, with a hint of relief in his tone. He handed a stone tablet engraved with mysterious runes to Mark, "This stone tablet may help you in future battles, keep it well." The stone tablet was cold to the touch, and the material was neither gold nor wood. Mark couldn't tell what material it was made of for a while. The runes carved on the stone slab are exactly the same as those on the altar, emitting a faint fluorescence.

Mark took the stone slab solemnly, "Thank you, old man." He carefully put the stone slab away and said goodbye to the old man and the tribe. Albert also expressed his gratitude to the old man and the tribe, and then followed Mark out of the cave.

They walked out of the cave and found that the original waterfall had disappeared. Instead, there was a road leading out of the mountain. The road was winding and led to the distance. There were dense woods on both sides. The sun shone through the gaps in the leaves, forming mottled light and shadows on the ground. Birds sang happily on the branches, butterflies danced among the flowers, and everything seemed full of vitality.

They walked along the road, and their figures gradually disappeared in the vast mountains.

"Wait." Mark suddenly stopped and looked back in the direction of the cave. Albert also stopped and looked at him puzzledly, "What's wrong?"

Mark squinted his eyes, as if trying to identify something. "I seem to hear... someone calling us." He said with a somewhat uncertain tone, frowning slightly.

Albert listened attentively, but heard no other sounds except the birdsong in the mountains and the rustling of leaves in the wind. "I didn't hear anything." He shook his head and pointed forward, "Let's hurry up, it's getting late."

Mark hesitated, looked back at the cave again, and finally shook his head. "Maybe I heard it wrong." He took a step and followed Albert, and the two continued to move forward along the road.

Not far away, they met a young tribesman running hurriedly. The tribesman was wearing simple animal skin clothes and holding a wooden stick in his hand. When he saw Mark and Albert, he immediately stopped and said breathlessly: "Elder... Elder asked me... asked me to give this to you!" He took out a small bag made of unknown animal skin from the animal skin clothes and handed it to Mark.

Mark took the small bag and felt light in his hand. "What is this?" he asked, opening the bag and finding some dried herbs inside.

The tribe member took a breath and explained, "The elder said...these herbs can treat some common injuries and illnesses." He added shyly, "The elder hopes these things can help you."

Mark and Albert looked at each other, and a warm current surged in their hearts. Albert patted the young tribe member on the shoulder, "Thank the elder for your concern for us."

The young tribe member nodded and showed a simple smile. "I wish you a safe journey!" After saying that, he turned and ran back to the cave.