Elias's technique tracked him through every jump.
Found him in a hidden dimension he'd prepared as an ultimate refuge.
And was about to delete him like the others.
But Elias pulled back at the last instant.
Not mercy. Practicality.
He needed information.
The technique shifted from "delete" to "capture." Reality folded around the Hierarch leader, and space twisted. The cultivator vanished from his hiding place and reappeared directly in front of Elias, suspended in the air by invisible forces.
Elias's hand shot out and grabbed the leader by the throat.
The Hierarch's eyes went wide with shock and terror. He tried to activate defensive techniques—his body began glowing with Law energy, formations inscribed on his very bones lighting up.
Elias's grip tightened slightly.
The formations shattered. The Law energy dispersed.
"Don't," Elias said quietly.
But the Hierarch was beyond reason. Three years of planning, destroyed. His entire team, annihilated. His mission, failed.
