The unmistakable stench of urine was suddenly carried on the cold night wind, causing deep, disgusted frowns to form on everyone’s faces. In the dead silence of the courtyard, all eyes automatically fell straight onto the trembling figure of Elder Magnus Hale.The 13th Path Iron Palm Master had literally soiled his robes.“You! Just wait and see…!” Elder Magnus stomped his foot into the dirt.His face was completely distorted with humiliation and rage. It looked exactly as though he wanted to rush forward and tear Elijah Langston apart bare-handed. But without a single microsecond’s warning, the he violently spun on his heel.Boom!His body whooshed away, propelled by a massive, explosive shockwave of his own spiritual energy. One second he was standing with them, fiercely posturing; the very next second he had vanished completely into the thick darkness of the woods opposite the mansion, using his ultimate cultivation technique purely to run away like a whipped dog.Tiana’s eyeballs

Elijah Langston stood silently at the threshold, his cold eyes sweeping across the interior of the bedroom.It was the sanctuary of a young girl. The walls were painted a soft, innocent pink, matching the plush bedding and the delicate furniture. Assorted girlish toys were scattered playfully across the carpet and piled neatly on the bed. Tucked in the corner was a small reading table equipped with a modern computer system.This was Mia's room in the heavily fortified safe house provided by George Foster. The exact room she had been snatched from just hours ago.Elijah’s eyes meticulously scanned every inch of the space, looking left and right. There was absolutely nothing unusual or out of place. The bedsheets were barely ruffled; the toys were undisturbed. If the perpetrator hadn't left an ocean of blood and a mountain of bodies in his wake downstairs, one would genuinely believe the little girl had simply sleepwalked out of the fortress.His face remained a terrifyingly expression

The clock had just slipped past midnight, dragging a new kind of darkness over Brooklyn Heights. Most of the city was quiet, asleep under the cold night air. But one corner of the East District was wide awake.Music pounded out of a nearby club, the bass thick and heavy. It shook the streets, rattled windows, and made the pavement tremble.This was The Black Hour. It was arguably the most popular and exclusive nightclub in the entire district, but it was strictly restricted to a very specific class of society. This was not a place where an ordinary citizen could just waltz in and out however they wished. Word on the street was that this club wasn’t just a place to party.People said it might be associated with Sorevia’s underground network. Standing like statues at the grand, black-tinted entrance were five massive bouncers. But a single glance was enough to tell they didn’t belong to the breed of randomly hired muscle found at regular civilian clubs. They were each openly armed wi

Tedrick DiLaurentis moved backward so quickly he nearly tripped over his own shoes, desperately trying to avoid being caught in the crossfire.But Elijah simply stepped forward.The heavy steel batons came swinging in from three different directions, aiming to crush his skull. With his hands still resting casually at his sides, Elijah made a slight, almost imperceptible movement of his head and torso. The deadly weapons violently swished through empty air, missing his face by mere millimetres. He had effortlessly evaded a synchronized three-point strike without even breaking his stride.Before the lead guard could pull his weapon back for a second swing, Elijah’s hand moved. He gripped the man’s thick wrist like a steel clamp and asked, his voice chillingly calm over the club’s deafening speakers, “Is the Dead-Eye Serpent up there?”“You are not supposed to know that name!” the guard growled like a rabid dog. He pulled his head back, violently lunging forward to headbutt Elijah squar

“…I’m telling you… I swear on my life! This is absolutely all I know!” the Dead-Eye Serpent choked out, his voice frantic. “The Shadow of Death doesn’t share his exact location information with anyone. He only ordered me to assist in gathering specific intelligence regarding some people in this city. His apprentice, Silent Shadow, was the one who met me here on his behalf, and he didn’t leave a single clue behind. Boss, don’t kill me tonight… I’m only a fixer… That’s what I do!”Several long minutes had passed inside the upper room of The Black Hour club, and the situation there had shifted entirely.Elijah Langston was now the one seated casually on the expensive leather couch. Kneeling, completely broken, on the carpet in front of him was the Dead-Eye Serpent. His tattooed body was soaked in a thick, cold sweat, and he was shivering so violently that his flesh looked as if it threatened to shake loose from his bones.“So…” Elijah drawled, his voice dangerously soft as he raised his