The next morning, inside the hotel room.

The High Priest reached out to remove the foul-smelling sock that was shoved into CharmingPrince’s mouth, asking with confusion, "Alexander, why have you taped up his entire face? Is there a specific reason for this?"

Seated on a massage bed, Alexander cleared his throat and responded, exasperated, "Everyone knows who this guy is. I think interrogation is a very serious matter, and it shouldn’t be made comedic, which is why I’ve taped his face up."

The High Priest and Robert paused, bewildered. They’d both seen him before?

"Is he someone we know?" the High Priest hesitated, then reached out to rip off the tape on his face.

In the next moment, everyone was stunned.

"Ha-ha-ha! Why does someone’s face look so bizarre..." They all burst out into uncontrollable laughter.

The High Priest quickly reapplied the tape to CharmingPrince’s face, saying between breaths, "Alexander, thank you for your thoughtfulness. Indeed, I also believe that interrogation, being a solemn affair, should not be made light of."

Choking back tears, CharmingPrince rasped, "You... you bunch of jerks. Despicable! Absolutely despicable!"

The High Priest returned to his seat, forcefully adopting a serious expression, and declared, "Alright, now you need to answer every question I have earnestly. If you don’t tell the truth, you can’t even imagine the consequences!"

Soon after, the interrogation commenced.

The reason Alexander didn’t kill CharmingPrince was that he knew behind this individual lurked a much deeper force. From his mouth, they might obtain crucial intelligence.

After a series of threats and temptations from everyone, CharmingPrince finally divulged everything he knew.

"Order of the Wandering Oracles?" The High Priest wore a serious expression, stroking his chin as he delved into thought.

Alexander asked, eyes closed, "Have you ever heard of this sect?"

Frowning, the High Priest replied, "I have come across it in ancient texts within the temple. According to the records, two or three thousand years ago, there emerged a master known as the ’Lord of Beast Tongues,’ proficient in the art of beast mastery.

He devised the Malevolent Spirit Array and once commanded a hundred thousand fierce beasts, sweeping across the world. Later, he came to Europe and had an encounter with the God of Slaughter, Dionysus."

Alexander looked surprised. "Dionysus? Why have I never heard this name in my intelligence reports? I am over ninety years old and also the richest man in America; information is one of my advantages."

The High Priest shook his head solemnly, "They all existed. But with the decline of the world’s spiritual energy, many powerful individuals have been deliberately edited out by the writers of history."

"Two thousand years ago, it was common for cultivators to participate in worldly conflicts. A notable example is Julius Caesar of ancient Rome. During his invasion of Gaul, he was aided by cultivators," added the High Priest.

This news left Alexander utterly astonished; it was a groundbreaking revelation for him.

Continuing, the High Priest said, "However, in modern times, with the decline of Earth’s spiritual energy, large numbers of cultivators mysteriously vanished. The conflicts between nations could easily be disrupted by a few powerful cultivators!"

"To maintain this balance, there was once a Divine King who descended to Earth, issuing edicts to cultivators, forbidding them from intervening in the conflicts of ordinary people. If it weren’t for the Divine King’s intervention, the outcome of World War II could have been rewritten!"

Alexander questioned, "So, are you saying the accounts in history books aren’t accurate?"

The High Priest chuckled, "Of course, much of the history we see has been revised. In the true course of history, the chaos and bloodshed a few thousand years ago far surpass anything we can comprehend today."

Alexander stroked his chin, mulling over this. "So, Dionysus was also a cultivator?"

The High Priest answered solemnly, "His path of cultivation is unlike that of ordinary cultivators. If he’s still alive, he’d possess terrifying power."

"And what became of the Lord of Beast Tongues?" Alexander inquired.

The High Priest grimaced, "Given how powerful Dionysus was, how could the Lord of Beast Tongues ever be his match? According to historical records, 90% of his hundred thousand fierce beasts were slain. He fled with the remaining beasts, and there’s been no record of him since."

Alexander turned his head towards CharmingPrince, contemplating, "If what he’s saying is true, then the Order of the Wandering Oracles must have been founded by the Lord of Beast Tongues after he fled. If that’s the case, the sect must also be thousands of years old!"

"SPEAK!" the High Priest thundered at CharmingPrince, "What is your purpose in the Amazon Rainforest, and why did you attack us?"

CharmingPrince, not daring to withhold information, promptly spilled the beans. The Order of the Wandering Oracles was indeed founded by the Lord of Beast Tongues.

At the time of its founding, the Order had a glorious history in South America. However, like many other sects, they were forced into hiding as the world’s spiritual energy waned.

It was only two weeks ago, coinciding with the gradual increase in spiritual energy around the Amazon Rainforest, that the Illusory Netherworld—the realm their generations had been guarding—broke its seal and began merging with the primary world.

The High Priest frowned, "Illusory Netherworld?"

Shivering, CharmingPrince elaborated, "Yes, the Illusory Netherworld is a pocket dimension created by our sect’s founder to help us navigate periods of dwindling spiritual energy."

"However, due to a catastrophe that occurred a thousand years ago, the Illusory Netherworld was suddenly sealed off. For the last millennium, we, the Order of the Wandering Oracles, have been seeking a way to re-enter the Illusory Netherworld."

"It wasn’t until two weeks ago that, for unknown reasons, the Illusory Netherworld ruptured and created a passage to the outside world. That’s when we regained hope," CharmingPrince continued.

"What about the beasts?" Alexander questioned, stroking his chin.

"They escaped from the Illusory Netherworld once it broke open. One of our main tasks is to recapture them and bring them back to the sect," CharmingPrince mumbled.

"Is it just a simple matter of retrieving lost property?" Alexander, with his leg propped up, inquired.

Pressing his lips together, CharmingPrince replied, "No, our leader discovered the will of the Lord of Beast Tongues within the Illusory Netherworld and received his legacy."

"What legacy?" Alexander raised an eyebrow.

After hesitating briefly, CharmingPrince divulged, "Years ago, the Lord of Beast Tongues, in order to survive periods of waning spiritual energy, created this pocket dimension and went into hiding for a millennium. However, his lifespan ran out before spiritual energy recovered. As a result, he had to seal the pocket world and fragment his soul, hiding it within the bodies of beasts, passing it down from generation to generation."

The High Priest and Robert were visibly shocked by this revelation. Fragmenting one’s own soul and sustaining it through the reproduction of beasts to navigate across millennia was staggering.

Alexander, who could extend his lifespan through dual cultivation, understood that the Lord of Beast Tongues lacked such means.

His only option was to extend his life by residing within the beasts. If true, the Lord of Beast Tongues was indeed a remarkable figure.

"And your purpose?" Alexander raised an eyebrow again.

CharmingPrince answered, complexity etched on his face, "To activate the Beast Spirit Array and coalesce a soul for the Lord of Beast Tongues, aiding him in his rebirth!"

Everyone around exchanged glances at this revelation.

Alexander touched his chin again, musing, "Impressive, but I still don’t get it. Why did you attack us?"

CharmingPrince lowered his head, "The rupture of the Illusory Netherworld accelerated the rejuvenation of spiritual energy in the Amazon region. This will undoubtedly attract countless cultivators. Our plan is too important to be disrupted. If we lose too many beasts to other forces, our plan will fail."

Lifting his head, CharmingPrince looked at the High Priest with a complicated expression and said, "The temple backing the Psychic Association is among the most powerful of the first sects to enter the world. We couldn’t risk letting you investigate, so we had no choice but to preemptively strike."

Frowning, the High Priest turned to Alexander, "This is a matter of grave concern. Alexander, you and your companions stay here. I must report this to the Temple Lord." With that, he swiftly left the room.

Alexander, leg still propped up, turned to CharmingPrince. "Apart from you, you mentioned other elders. How do their abilities compare to yours? What tasks are they executing?"

CharmingPrince looked dejected as he spoke, "Among the four of us, the strongest is the Great Elder Dalina. She is in charge of locating and recapturing the escaped beasts, returning them to the Illusory Netherworld. I don’t know much about her, except that she’s extraordinary and second only to our leader."

"And the other two?" Alexander squinted.

CharmingPrince lowered his head, "The Second Elder is called Taotie, he is the Order of the Wandering Oracles’ alchemist. He is responsible for obstructing other sects’ cultivators in the Amazon region and is not with us. The Third Elder Ayu, slightly more powerful than me, excels in enchantment and is a lascivious woman. She, like Taotie, is in charge of eliminating intruders from other sects."

"Other sects’ cultivators?" Alexander questioned, intrigued.

"Yes, there are many, but most are low-level cultivators, barely stronger than Psychics. They mainly hail from South American sects. They are closest to the Amazon and were the first to sense the rupture of the Illusory Netherworld," CharmingPrince said dispiritedly.

Alexander stroked his chin, deep in thought. Things were becoming increasingly interesting.

At this very moment, the Amazon must be a perilous battleground, teeming with forces from all directions. Anyone venturing in unprepared would likely meet a mysterious and untimely end.

...

After the questioning concluded, Alexander returned to his own room, his thoughts swirling with the weight and complexity of the revelations. The Amazon was no longer just a wilderness; it had transformed into a theater where destinies would be written, and secrets unearthed.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Laura came over holding two cups of coffee, handing one to Alexander.

With a concerned look, she asked, "Honey, are you still planning to go to the Amazon rainforest tomorrow? It sounds too dangerous! If what they said about the Lord of Beast Tongues is true, I worry you’ll be in danger."

Alexander spread his hands and said, "Really? Don’t underestimate me; I’m pretty powerful too."

Laura nodded, "Still, it’s better to be careful."

As they sat on the bed watching television, the remote control was in Laura’s hands. She stopped at a movie channel, drawn in by the storyline—a dashing male lead, a sultry female lead, all spiced up with elements of romance and suspense.

"Let’s stick with this channel, shall we?"

"Sure," Alexander agreed. He had actually seen the movie before. In another fifteen minutes, the film would transition to a steamy scene featuring the leads, a scene that was both passionate and lengthily shot.

Laura then set the remote control down between them. In silence, they continued to watch the TV. After about fifteen minutes, the passionate scene emerged, with the male and female leads sharing an ardent kiss.

That was harmless enough, but things escalated as the couple began disrobing and caressing each other, punctuated by the increasingly audible moans from the female lead.