In a certain part of the Bizarre Beasts Cave, the atmosphere was completely different from where Alex appeared. The land here was barren and dry, with cracked soil and strange dark rocks scattered all around.
Dozens of massive worms were hidden beneath the ground. These worms were terrifying creatures, each the size of a big house. Their bodies were armored in bony plates, and their mouths were ringed with razor-sharp teeth that clicked together in hunger. They tunneled silently, then burst from the earth all at once, surrounding a young man in the center of the rocky land.
This man looked to be in his twenties. His expression didn't change even when the giant worms lunged toward him.
As the first worm opened its mouth to devour him, the young man raised a single hand and casually waved.
A powerful force exploded from him like a silent wave, and all the worms froze in mid-air.
In the next second, their bodies cracked, then shattered into dust, as if crushed by invisible pressure. In less than ten seconds, the area was silent again. Not a trace of blood remained. The dust had already dissipated along with the wind.
The man glanced around, then walked forward casually, as though nothing had happened.
This man was none other than Cyr Mistveil, the one who had entered this Astral Sea in search of the Stone of Immortality.
As he walked, Cyr closed his eyes for a moment and then snapped them open. His gaze locked in a specific direction.
"This surge of vitality... It's coming from over there. But something feels off. It's definitely not the Stone of Immortality, yet whatever it is, it must be connected to it."
Taking a deep breath, Cyr paused in thought. Then, with a single step, he crossed tens of miles in an instant. The barren and dry land he had been walking on vanished behind him, replaced by a lush, grassy plain stretching out before him.
He didn't stop; he continued to walk and soon disappeared from the grassy plane as well.
Far away in a completely different region of the Bizarre Beasts Cave, a beautiful woman was standing quietly beneath a pale blue sky. The area here was filled with colorful flowers and thick grasses, making it look peaceful at first glance.
But the peaceful atmosphere broke suddenly. The ground rumbled, and several giant leopards came out. Each leopard had the size of a giant boulder, covered in dark spots and scales instead of fur. Their eyes glowed red as they moved like shadows, surrounding the woman from all sides in a few seconds.
This woman was breathtakingly beautiful. Her long silver hair fluttered gently, and her pale violet eyes were calm like still water. She wore flowing robes that sparkled faintly with light. Her entire presence felt untouchable, like a goddess in the mortal world.
As the giant leopards leaped toward her, she didn't panic. Instead, she took a deep breath slowly.
The moment she inhaled, a strange phenomenon occurred in the surroundings.
The air suddenly twisted. At the same time, invisible streams of energy were pulled toward her, as if she were drawing something out of the air.
The leopards attacking her suddenly stopped in mid-air. Their eyes went blank instantly, and they began to shrivel.
In the blink of an eye, their flesh, blood, and even their vitality were sucked out. Their large, muscular bodies turned into dried husks.
With dull thuds, they fell to the ground lifelessly like empty sacks of skin. Not to mention their vitality, even their blood essence and energy were sucked out by the breathtakingly beautiful woman.
This woman was none other than Serena Lightfoot, the mysterious person Alex was unable to see through. Instead, he even felt that she was capable of looking directly into his soul.
After a moment, Serena looked around indifferently. Then, she transformed into a streak of silver light and shot in a certain direction.
She, too, like Alex and Cyr Mistveil, was looking for the source of infinite vitality, the Stone of Immortality.
A gentle fluctuation of spatial energy rippled through the air, and in the next second, Alex appeared beside a wide river.
This river was enormous, calm, and clear. The water was flowing steadily and was filled with countless colorful fish swimming freely. Some of them even leapt out of the water now and then, creating splashes that sparkled under the soft light of the cave sky.
The area around the river looked like a paradise. Tall green trees could be seen swaying gently with the wind. The grass was thick and healthy, stretching across the land like a soft green carpet. Full bloom bright flowers of every color were everywhere, filling the air with sweet fragrance. Everything here was full of life and strong vitality.
Alex slowly stepped closer to the river, feeling the refreshing breeze against his face. He looked down at the Heavenly Spirit Stone in his hand.
He had come to this place following the guidance of the Heavenly Spirit Stone. After all, all four Supreme Treasured Stones were connected to each other. Mainly, this Heavenly Spirit Stone, which seems to know everything in this Astral Sea, including past events and present moments.
It is not weird for it to know the Stone of Immortality's correct location.
Just then, a voice echoed in his mind.
[The Stone of Immortality is sleeping beneath this river, sealed under the Nine Great Heaven Seals. You must break these seals to get the Stone. As for how to break them... that is something you must figure out on your own.]
Alex's eyes narrowed as he stared at the calm surface of the river. It looked peaceful, but there could be something dangerous hidden.
After all, dangers always exist where treasures can be found. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NovᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet
As for why the Heavenly Spirit Stone told him that he must figure out how to break the seals himself, it must be because it could give out one treasure a year. Alex had already used up that one chance to obtain the Galactic Origin Compass. So, he could not ask the Heavenly Spirit Stone to give him the method to break the Nine Great Heaven Seals.