Cyr's sharp gaze swept over Alex again, but inwardly, his mind was focused on the Stone of Immortality.

At first, he had been certain the stone must still be here. The energy traces were far too obvious, fresh and heavy as though the stone had just revealed itself. Yet, strangely enough, he could not find it anywhere, no matter how hard he tried to look for it.

Cyr thought carefully.

First of all, he was sure Alex didn't have it.

Why?

Because the Stone of Immortality could never be stored inside a storage ring or any spatial object. It was far too unique, carrying its own immortal will. Every other treasure, no matter how hard their grades, could be hidden away, but not this one. Even if Alex had tried to put the stone inside his ring or other spatial objects, he would have failed thoroughly.

Secondly, the stone could not have entered Alex's body either. Only after recognizing someone as its master would the Stone of Immortality enter their body. Once acknowledged, it would merge with its chosen master's life force and stay there, protecting and aiding them in countless ways. Alex was clearly far too weak for that to have happened.

Thirdly, Cyr himself had been drawn here precisely because of the stone's aura. His senses were unmatched in detecting such treasures, and he was confident that if Alex really possessed it, there would be no way to hide it from him. He would feel it immediately.

And yet… here was the strange part.

He had clearly sensed the Stone of Immortality's aura just a few moments ago before coming here. It was strong, vibrant, and unmistakable.

But now?

There was nothing.

If there was anything, then it was only faint, lingering traces that clung to the crumbled pillars and swirled faintly in the surrounding energy. The stone itself seemed to have vanished completely.

From the moment he sensed the surge of infinite vitality to this moment, not even a minute had passed. He came here as soon as he sensed the presence of the Stone of Immortality. But the stone had disappeared in this short period, which was nothing more than an impossible task for anyone to do.

Cyr was sure that even if someone else had taken it away, he should have sensed them. Even if a strong expert had hidden it, the aura would not have vanished so completely in such a short span of time.

Yet now, his frown deepened. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Meanwhile, Alex waited awkwardly, still unsure of who this mysterious young man was or what exactly he wanted. He could feel the other party's heavy aura, even though it was being suppressed, and it made his chest tighten slightly.

In this Bizarre Beasts Cave, Cyr was perhaps using an Astral-ranked Treasure called Dark Veil Cloak to suppress his cultivation. Of course, this was nothing more than Alex's guess due to Cyr's dark attire and Dark Veil Cloak's name.

Finally, Cyr broke the silence as he spoke, "My name is Cyr Mistveil. I have come from afar."

Alex blinked, confused at the vague answer.

From afar?

From where exactly?

Another country?

Another world?

Another Astral Sea?

Although several question marks appeared in his mind, he didn't ask.

Cyr, however, didn't give him much time to think. His eyes once again scanned the broken pillars, and then he turned back toward Alex.

"Tell me, do you know who shattered these pillars? Or did you see anyone here when you arrived?"

The question caught Alex off guard. After all, these pillars were broken by him.

He hesitated for a moment and then decided not to reveal anything. Who knows what this person wanted? In an unknown situation and mainly in front of an unknown person who is much stronger than you, it is better to always stay alert and not give away even the tiniest flaw.

So, Alex calmed down a little and lied, "I don't know. I've come here just a minute before you. When I came, this place was already like this."

Cyr's eyes narrowed slightly, though he didn't immediately respond. He didn't sense any obvious lie in Alex's words, but something about the boy unsettled him. His aura was unusual, and there was a faint, almost imperceptible mystery surrounding him.

Yet, Cyr was confident in one thing: Alex did not have the Stone of Immortality. That was a certainty.

Still… where had it gone?

His mind turned over countless possibilities, but none of them satisfied him. The Stone of Immortality was one of the greatest treasures in existence. Its disappearance here, right under his nose, was unacceptable.

For a long moment, Cyr simply stared at Alex, as if trying to pierce through every secret hidden within him. His black robes swayed gently in the chaotic water currents, his figure as unmoving as a mountain, his eyes calm yet sharp like blades.

Alex swallowed unconsciously. He didn't like the way Cyr was looking at him. It felt as though the man could strip away every layer of defense he had and see straight into his soul.

The silence stretched. The broken riverbed groaned faintly under the pressure of the chaotic spatial energy. Finally, Cyr exhaled softly, the sharpness in his gaze lessening ever so slightly.

He sat on one knee in front of the crumbled pillars, grabbed a large piece, and carefully studied the patterns on its surface. Following that, he checked the patterns of several pieces.

"There is no mistake. These crumbled pieces were a part of the Nine Great Heaven Seals, one of many treasures said to be born with traces of Heavenly Dao." Cyr muttered lightly and then frowned. "But... who could have broken these seals? Even a True Divinity would not be able to break a True Treasure with traces of Heavenly Dao. Moreover, an abandoned Astral Sea like this can never produce a cultivator above True Divinity."

The more Cyr thought about it, the more confused his expression became.

In the end, shaking his head, he stood up and asked, "Do you..."

Bang!

But before he could complete his sentence, a huge explosive sound rang out, and the entire river seemed to have been overturned, causing water to surge wildly in all directions, towering waves crashing as if the heavens themselves had been split open.