Bill's face flushed a deep red, his expression contorted in agony. A surge of energy churned violently inside him. He fought to suppress it, but the effort was visible in the bulging veins on his neck.
White Dragon King glanced at him, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. His voice was cold as he ordered, "Alger, Laura—wait outside."
Both of them exchanged surprised glances before they silently complied, leaving the room.
Once they were gone, White Dragon King's face darkened. He strode toward Bill, his fingers moving swiftly over the acupoints on Bill's body, attempting to ease the energy that had become a tormenting force inside him.
Boom!
Just as White Dragon King tried to release the pressure, a violent backlash forced him to step back, his fingers nearly broken by the intensity.
"This is… the power of vital energy? How did you provoke a cultivator?" Shock flickered in White Dragon King's eyes as he realized what had happened.
"Master… I… I feel terrible! Ah—" Bill's voice broke off in a strained cry.
His face was so red it looked like his eyes would burst from their sockets.
Bang!
A roar echoed as Bill's clothes were torn apart by the force of the energy surging within him. A deep, blood-red line slithered across his chest, like a snake, and slowly condensed into a single word.
Oracle.
Oracle!
The instant White Dragon King saw that word, his eyes widened in disbelief. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
Oracle King had left his vital energy in Bill's body?!
The White Dragon King couldn't control his trembling hands, and his complexion turned ghostly pale. His voice was shaky with fear. "What have you done?! How could you provoke Oracle King?!"
Bill, still writhing in pain, gasped, "Master, no, I didn't offend Oracle King!"
White Dragon King didn't believe him for a second. He grabbed Bill by the neck, his grip tightening. "If you didn't provoke Oracle King, why would he leave his vital energy inside you? Explain! Now!"
Bill's breath hitched, and his face was stricken with terror. His throat tightened under the force of his master's grip, making it harder to breathe. His mind went blank as panic set in. He truly had no idea how this had happened.
He hadn't met Oracle King, hadn't interacted with any cultivator. After returning from New York, all he had done was report to his master.
White Dragon King's fingers dug deeper into Bill's throat, squeezing tighter as his rage grew. "Answer me! What happened?"
Bill's vision began to blur. His body felt like it was suffocating under the pressure, and his heart thudded erratically. Just as he thought he was about to pass out, White Dragon King let go, tossing him aside like a ragdoll.
Bill slammed into the wall with a sickening thud, blood spurting from his mouth. He gasped desperately for air, his body trembling violently.
White Dragon King's voice thundered through the room, "Tell me everything you did today! Every place you went, every person you met! I swear, if you leave anything out, I will send you straight to hell!"
Bill, though battered and bleeding, understood the urgency in his master's voice. He couldn't afford to miss a single detail.
He started recounting his day in a shaky voice: the places he had been, the people he'd met, including Alger and Laura.
Once Bill finished, White Dragon King's face remained dark. "Is that everything? Are you leaving something out?"
Bill, terrified, knelt and kowtowed repeatedly. "Master, that's everything! No omissions! I swear, it's all true! I haven't left anything out!"
Still unconvinced, White Dragon King glared down at him. Bill continued to kowtow, and then, as though struck by an epiphany, he froze, his voice rising in realization. "Master… I think I know who it is."
"Who?" White Dragon King demanded.
"It's… it's the monk you told me to kill! He's the Oracle King! He must be!"
A flicker of comprehension passed through Bill's eyes. His head hit the ground again, and suddenly, everything clicked.
He remembered that Laura had given him information about a monk to kill. But when he fought with John, he realized that John wasn't a monk at all. He was too strong to be just a monk.
At the time, Bill had assumed that there was something wrong with Laura's information. But now, with the realization crashing down on him, Bill understood. John wasn't a monk, nor was he just some martial artist. He was a cultivator.
Cultivators wielded not only martial techniques but also harnessed vital energy.
Everything made sense now. John must have been the one to leave that blood-red mark in Bill's body.
Bill felt his knees weaken at the thought. He recalled how quickly John had reacted during their fight. Bill now understood that John had been holding back—he had only used a fraction of his strength.
What struck Bill hardest was the shame that followed. Despite going all out, he couldn't even touch John.
He couldn't stop the fear that gripped him now.
If John was indeed the Oracle King, then Bill had not just failed to kill him—he had provoked someone far beyond his reach.
Bill shuddered, his eyes wide with dread.