215: 215. Behind the World

Inside the study, an elderly man with silver hair, a face full of deep wrinkles, and dressed in a dark red robe, was contemplating an ancient world map. He was Horn, the current leader of the Bright Light Society.

"Mentor," the butler bowed, his voice exceptionally clear in the silent study, "news has come from the African branch. After seven years of exploration and 'guidance,' we have confirmed the existence of the third oracle in a hidden altar beneath the Kukulcan Pyramid. Excavation and extraction work is ready, and the sacred object will be safely escorted back to headquarters by next month at the latest."

A glint of imperceptible shrewdness flashed in Horn's cloudy eyes. He slowly nodded, his withered finger gently tapping the location of the pyramid on the map, his voice hoarse like rubbing parchment: "Very good. Tell them to ensure the integrity and safety of the oracle at all costs. Any obstacles... can be removed."

"As you command, Mentor," the butler bowed again and silently exited the study.

Silence returned to the study, broken only by the crackling of burning wood in the fireplace.

Horn slowly rose, leaning on his scepter inlaid with black gemstones. He did not linger but walked towards a seemingly ordinary bookshelf deep within the study.

As he chanted several obscure syllables, the bookshelf silently slid open, revealing a deep, cold, stone-lined passage extending downwards behind it.

Ancient bronze lamps hung on the walls on both sides of the passage; their flickering flames elongated and twisted his shadow, casting it upon the moss-covered stone walls.

He passed through the labyrinthine passage, through several heavy stone doors, and finally reached the deepest part of the ancient castle, the most core forbidden area of the Bright Light Society.

The Inverted Pyramid Dungeon.

The dungeon was vast and empty, extending downwards in an inverted pyramid structure, with spiraling stone steps on the surrounding walls, as if leading to the center of the earth.

At the very bottom of the dungeon, there were no statues of deities, but two independent stone walls, one over five meters high and the other only human height.

They looked as if they had been chiseled out and transported from another location.

The surface of the walls was smooth as a mirror, clearly touched countless times.

And on these stone walls, geometric symbols similar to those Lu Feng saw in the dream rift and on the cave paintings of Kunlun Mountain were clearly visible!

Only here, the symbols were preserved more completely.

Horn's eyes revealed an immense fervor and reverence. Like the most devout pilgrim, he walked step by step to the wall, his trembling, withered fingers carefully touching the stone wall.

The moment his fingertips made contact.

"Buzz!"

A massive, chaotic stream of information, like a high-voltage current, surged into his mind through his fingertips!

Countless fragmented images and twisted knowledge violently assaulted the barriers of his consciousness!

Horn grunted, his face instantly turning pale, veins bulging on his forehead. He almost instinctively, and relying on generations of warnings, forcibly severed the connection, abruptly pulled his hand back, stumbled two steps backward, gasping for breath, his eyes filled with lingering fear and trepidation.

"Cannot... cannot touch for too long..." he murmured to himself.

This was a precept engraved in the heart of every generation's leader.

In the history of the Bright Light Society, there were many ambitious former leaders who attempted to delve deeper into the mysteries of the oracle, and the ultimate outcome was always the collapse of their consciousness, their brains exploding, dying in extremely tragic ways.

He calmed his turbulent qi and blood, gazing at the mysterious wall with complex emotions, his heart filled with a myriad of feelings.

According to the secret scriptures left by the first leader, about two thousand years ago, the organization's founder, a learned and adventurous alchemist, accidentally discovered this oracle stone wall during a jungle exploration.

On this stone wall, the first leader gained a vast amount of knowledge far beyond the understanding of that era. He did not comprehend this knowledge but it did not prevent him from calling it the gift of the "True God," or "Divine Revelation."

Subsequently, in order to study that advanced knowledge, the first leader founded the Bright Light Society, operating behind the scenes, and eventually, using this knowledge, quietly influenced the course of world history.

Advanced mathematics, physical laws, biological structures, and other disciplines were gradually unearthed... They accumulated wealth, infiltrated power, and built an invisible empire spanning the globe.

However, it was both tragic and ironic that after a millennium, despite the Bright Light Society pouring all its resources into understanding the knowledge contained within the oracle, they had likely not even achieved one-thousandth of it.

Yet, even so, this mere tip of the iceberg of knowledge was enough to make them the most powerful organization lurking in the shadows of the world, controlling economies and influencing the regimes of small nations.

Even the rise of the now-dominant Eagle Nation owed much to the early impetus from the Bright Light Society. They were like gardeners, merely choosing the most promising seedling to invest in and guide, hoping to reap greater benefits in the future.

"Soon... it will be soon..."

Horn gazed at the symbols on the wall, a nearly fanatical flame burning in his eyes: "Gather all the scattered oracle fragments... Then, the passage will open, and the sleeping 'Only True God' who granted us knowledge will descend upon the world!"

He spread his arms, as if embracing an invisible deity, his voice trembling with excitement: "And we, the Bright Light Society, who have guarded and tirelessly pursued for generations, will become the most loyal and glorious servants before God's throne! We will share God's authority and jointly rule this ignorant world!"

Mad faith and the craving for power intertwined in this deep dungeon...